27 



have a perception of a great experience and not be sure of what 

 they are getting into. We rely very strongly on those who have been 

 there and come back and are satisfied and happy with their experi- 

 ence. 



We do notice that if they do have a problem with a certain time 

 of year, that they will come at another time and make that experi- 

 ence at another time of year. We work very hard to do this. We are 

 a seasonal operation. We work hard to develop our business and 

 our opportunities in the early and late part of the season. 



I would like to refer to page 3, the background of relationship be- 

 tween the outfitters and the guides and the Forest Service there. 

 In quick summary of this experience there, we have about ten 

 years of frustrations that we have dealt with in having to deal 

 with, in every year having to reapply for these permits. 



We work very hard in the operations and the outfitters that are 

 there have made the effort over the past ten years to be part of a 

 responsible organization and provide good services. They are there 

 because they have been successful in what they have been able to 

 accomplish. 



As you see, we have had to deal with some unusual restrictions 

 and things that have happened without our input or our discussion 

 in that timeframe. 



In summary, we would like to say that we do respect the right 

 of the general public to come here and to make their determination 

 on their own whether they have had a successful experience. We 

 feel that if we do our job and the river is so beautiful and the expe- 

 rience they had was so good there, that they will have a desire to 

 come back, rather than having an agency or some other person tell 

 them that they have that successful experience. 



We have 97 percent, as is said, 97 percent of the people in the 

 survey said they were happy with their experience there, and we 

 feel that very little regulation is required to ensure that those 

 other three percent could have a happy experience or good experi- 

 ence also. 



[The prepared statement of Harold Egbert may be found at the 

 end of hearing.] 



Mr. Hansen. Thank you, Mr. Egbert. Mr. CoUett, we will turn 

 the time to you, sir. 



STATEMENT OF CRAIG COLLETT, VICE PRESIDENT, FLAMING 

 GORGE LODGE, DUTCH JOHN, UTAH 



Mr. COLLETT. My name is Craig Collett. My family and I operate 

 two businesses within the Flaming Gorge National Recreation 

 Area. One of those businesses is under a special use permit in the 

 town of Dutch John and the other is on private property. My family 

 and I have been there since 1957. My father started the business 

 in Dutch John as soon as the dam was begun. 



Flaming Gorge recreation area is visited by over 2,000,000 people 

 a year. There are a lot of people that come for various experiences, 

 and the Green River is only part of that. 



I would like to start off by saying that the Green River has not 

 been designated as a wild and scenic river. In 1988, the Forest 

 Service began looking at developing a new Green River manage- 

 ment plan. As part of developing this plan in 1991, the Forest Serv- 



