As visitation to Grand Teton National Park continues to swell, there’s no way demand can be met without federal money for basic infrastructure such as working toilets, the park’s top official told a congressional committee Friday.
At issue is whether to renew funding for a backlog of maintenance and infrastructure through the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), which expires this month.
The act’s Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) authorized $1.9 billion per year for five years. That includes $1.3 billion for the National Park Service, and the rest for other federal land-management agencies.
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins repeatedly mentioned Colter Bay as being in dire need of money during Friday's Wyoming field hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources.
“Colter Bay is a place where, on an average day, we can have 10,000 to 11,000 people,” he told the committee, which includes Wyoming Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman. "We actually believe that we can accommodate more people there.
"But in order to be able to do that, we need to make sure that the toilets flush."
The hearing was held outside at the park’s Jenny Lake Visitor Center with the Grand Teton mountains towering above in the background.
Jenkins told the delegates that Grand Teton’s visitor numbers have been ballooning, and crowds are pushing ever-farther into the park.
“Visitation is not like a thermometer where the number goes up or down,” he said. "Visitation is more like a balloon. In the last 15 years, visitation at Grand Teton National Park has increased 15%."
Over that period, use of trails in the park has increased by 25%, he added.
Also, more people are taking float trips on the Snake River, as well as hiring guides to climb the Grand Teton — indicating a trend of tourists wanting to get off roads and into the backcountry, Jenkins said.
The committee heard testimony from and asked questions of Jenkins and other witnesses with ties to Wyoming’s tourism industry about whether to extend GAOA, but took no action on the matter.
Are Funds Going To The Right Place?
Hageman noted that Grand Teton is one of Wyoming’s premier destinations and a huge contributor to the state's tourism economy.
In 2024, Grand Teton hosted 3.6 million visitors and generated $1.74 billion, Hageman said. Grand Teton has received $77.8 million in LRF money since 2020.
And 2025 is shaping up to be another “banner year” she added.
The GAOA has provided vital funding for places like Grand Teton, Hageman said. But she also questioned whether all the money was spent appropriately.
Some of it was spent for projects in urban areas such as San Francisco, instead of on “rural crown jewels” like Grand Teton, Hageman said.
She added that she’d like to see more money going toward accessibility and other initiatives to enhance visitors’ experiences, rather than focusing only on maintenance backlogs.
If the act is renewed, it might need to be reformed, Hageman said.
“Instead of focusing narrowly on maintenance, however, I believe that the next iteration of GAOA should concentrate on projects that modernize our parks, enhance public access, improve infrastructure and create new outdoor recreation opportunities,” she said.
The Importance Of Wildlife
Wyoming’s tourism economy depends on wildlife to draw visitors, Ecotour Adventures founder Taylor Phillips told the committee.
“Visitors don’t come to see gas stations,” Phillips said. "They come to see this (the park) and the wildlife, and the intact ecosystems."
GAOA money spent in Grand Teton has positive effects that radiate to other Wyoming outdoor treasures, such as the Red Desert and the Bighorn Mountains, he said.
GAOA funds can also help with cooperative projects, such as building wildlife crossings over or under highways, he said.
“GAOA keep lands whole; the (wildlife) crossing program keeps them connected,” Phillips said.
There is also concern among biologists and other wildlife experts that if more isn’t done to protect wildlife, the number of animals could start to dwindle, he said.
Communication Upgrades And Staffing
The value of informational infrastructure can’t be overlooked, Julie Calder, chairwoman of the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board, told the committee.
Modern digital communication platforms should provide tourists with information, such as reminders to keep safe distances away from wildlife or how to properly extinguish campfires, she said.
The GAOA funds don’t address staffing, but concerns over staffing were raised during the hearing.
The permanent National Park Service staff has been down by 24% since January, said Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Concern was also voiced about staff cuts at the agency’s service center in Denver, which is the nerve center for project planning.
Land Acquisition Funding Also Important
The act also includes the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to be used by the federal government to buy additional land or water.
It's permanently authorized to provide $900 million per year for that purpose.
This money is pivotal in adding acreage to the park, such as the purchase of the Kelly Parcel in 2024, said Leslie Mattson, Grand Teton National Park Foundation president.
The Antelope Flats parcel was bought and added to Grant Teton park in 2016 using a combination of federal money, she said.
Together, the Kelly and Antelope Flats parcels added 1,200 acres to the park, Mattson said.
A ‘Magic Place’
Jenkins said Grand Teton still has a significant maintenance backlog.
Numerous improvements are needed, such as larger traffic pullouts for people to admire the scenery at spots such as Oxbow Bend, Willow Flats and the Snake River overlook.
Bicycling is also increasingly popular in the park. There’s a pressing need to build a bicycle route to the Gros Ventre Campground, he said.
He became emotional and fought back tears in his closing statement to the committee.
“There’s magic in this place. There’s magic in this place because of these people,” he said, indicating his staff and the local community.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
