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Show Panguitch Lake Studied For Winter Recreation Jolley noted that the Utah Travel Council stands ready to cooperate and participate with local people in setting up Familiarization Tours (FAM Tours) this winter, inviting snowmobile writers, package tour operators, and the media to help promote the attractive at-tractive features of the area and its recreational potential. The recent vote by Garfield County Commissioners to keep the Panguitch Lake Road open year round was the deciding factor in the attempt to seek "groomed" snowmobile trails in the triangle formed by Panguitch Lake, Brianhead and Meadowview areas, according to Milt Jolley, assistant director of the Utah Travel Council. Stating that Color Country was "on the verge of discovering a new frontier" fron-tier" in opening up snowmobiling possibilities for development, Jolley chaired a meeting August 20 at Ferdinand's Ferdi-nand's Cafe at Brianhead sponsored by the Utah Travel Council. t Representatives from Beaver, Garfield, Kane, Iron and Washington counties; Color Country Advertising; Utah State Parks and Recreation; National Park Service; Forest Service; Utah State Industrial Development; Garfield County Impact Team; Panguitch City; Gardiner Advertising and the Utah Travel Council gathered to exchange promotional ideas about winter recreation in the area. The meeting afforded everyone the opportunity to get acquainted and familiarize themselves with the operations of each facility within the triangle. Jolley introduced Gordon A. Johnson, associated with Gardiner Advertising Agency in Salt Lake City whose agency handles winter advertising for the Utah Travel Council. snowmobile trails in the U.S. According to Johnson, the average snowmobile party consists of 6.5 persons, per-sons, with an average income of $27,000 each of whom spend four days at their destination and approximately $480. Johnson concluded his presenation by stating that snowmobiling was a very marketable form of recreation and that the best way for an area to succeed is to organize and pool resources. Local resort owners agreed that the greatest potential for drawing toursits to the triangle area lay in Nevada, California and Arizona. People from these three states represent a large percentage of tourists normally visiting the southern Utah area. A notable feeling of cooperation and harmony pervaded the meeting with a general agreement among all representatives that the common goals of the group could be attained. Park Service and Forest Service representatives demonstrated a willingness to work with resort owners. It was generally agreed that one of the major and more immediate goals would be the acquisition of a "trail groomer," an essential piece of equipment equip-ment costing in the neighborhood of $60,000. Funds could be appropriated by the legislature for the purchase of the groomer and support equipment if enough interest can be generated locally in support of the project. Those attending were urged to write their legislators. Johnson narrated a slide presen- ' tation on the growth of snowmobiling in general, noting that it is one of the 1 fastest growing recraetional activities. He said that in 1971 there were 8,200 registered snowmobiles and by 1979 the figure had risen to 14,000; adding that - there are over 7,000 miles of |