26 



We participate in activities such as scenic flow trips, guided fish- 

 ing trip, walkway trips, and things Uke that. Use on the Green 

 River for commercial use has grown from about 400 trips in 1987 

 to approximately 3,700 trips in 1995. 



All but one of the permits that are issued to those 13 outfitters 

 on the Green River are term permits, which are renewable every 

 year, under the temporary system that we are working under, 

 which creates great hardships for the outfitters who are not as- 

 sured of having an operation next year. They have to reapply each 

 year for that use. 



The Green River commercial use, as I said, has constituted about 

 five percent of the total river use in the A section, the first section, 

 and about seven percent of the total river use is attributable to 

 commercial use. That is the only section of the river that has been 

 subject to any type of regulation or control or restriction of any 

 type in the past. 



We were interested to read the Forest Service's presentation 

 where they quote on page 8 that use continues to grown on the 

 Green River. Approximately 97,000 people visited the river in 1995. 

 In the year that the study was done in 1990, there were about 

 114,000 people who were there. 



As a result of displacement of some user groups due to perceived 

 crowding that it is inferring, in fact, some of the perceptions are 

 that there is no longer a quality recreational experience, because 

 of the number of people in the river corridor at one time. 



You made reference to the fact that 97 percent of the people, ac- 

 cording to their own study, were satisfied or had exceeded their ex- 

 pectations for the experience, and that is the feel that we have, too. 

 We receive surveys back that are sent by the Forest Service to our 

 customers, commercial customers. We receive approximately ten 

 percent of our total number, which is 1,500 that we did. We re- 

 ceived somewhere between 100 and 150 responses back, and not 

 one negative response was made concerning the experience or the 

 type of experience that they participated in. The only negative re- 

 sponses were in the actual flow fluctuations which we have very lit- 

 tle control over, if any at all. 



We also are interested in the studies which make reference to 

 summarizing and conclusions there which state that two of the 

 most salient findings to come out of the survey of the Green River 

 users are that perceived crowding is only weakly linked to numbers 

 seen and not at all dissatisfaction. 



Moreover, there is little direct evidence to suggest that displace- 

 ment is going on. Some suggest that it is not, as you read. 



We feel that the people have three choices when they come to the 

 Green River. They can enjoy their experience and come back; they 

 will come at another time and use a different section of the river 

 or another time of year; or they will not come back depending upon 

 their own perception of their experience. 



We prefer to let those people make that decision rather than the 

 Forest Service or any other agency who might say that they are 

 qualified to determine whether someone has had a successful expe- 

 rience or not. 



We rely very strongly on our operation upon return customers 

 who come back year after year rather than upon those who may 



