Montana to Promote Winter Tourism- But not for snowmobiling!

[Givemeaboost]

I saw this in The Great Falls Tribune. All they talk about is skiing and wildlife viewing. Not one word about snowmobiling even though many localities depend on it to survive the winter season.
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--><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>var artTotalChar=1927;</SCRIPT><!-- pagination off -->HELENA — Montana's Department of Commerce Office of Tourism is launching a new marketing campaign in hopes of luring tourists during the winter months.
Gov. Brian Schweitzer announced the campaign in a press release last week, saying the state needed a winter campaign "as compelling and memorable as a Montana winter vacation."
The campaign features skier and cinematographer Warren Miller, Olympic mogul skier Heather McPhie and X-Games medalist, author and photographer Kevin Connolly.
The campaign includes magazine and other print ads, along with online banner advertising, bus and train wraps and billboards.
Winter tourists are drawn to the state's skiing and wildlife watching, state officials say. The campaign will target national audiences and key feeder markets for non-resident visitors, according to the press release, in an effort to build awareness of Montana's "secret season."
Schweitzer said the state is honored by the participation of Warren Miller, who is known for his extreme skiing movies.
"It is also a powerful testament to the incomparable quality of skiing that Montana offers," he said.
Most of Montana's 10.5 million annual visitors travel during the summer months, according to the state, and the visitors spend about $2.5 billion in Montana each year. State officials say tourists also contribute $180 million in tax revenue, support more than 28,000 jobs and provide over $785 million in earnings for Montana workers.
In October, the Montana Department of Revenue reported that tourism appeared to be up for the first half of the year, with bed tax numbers increasing more than 14 percent in the first quarter compared to last year, and 2.7 percent in the second quarter. Smith Travel Research, which monitors the lodging industry, said that Montana in July and August had the second-highest lodging occupancy in the nation at more than 85 percent. Only North Dakota's lodging occupancy came in ahead.


Ken.......

 

[Himark]

yeah no surprise... I checked our local tourist promo website for Centennial Wyoming and the gal that heads that site up also a merchant that takes the cash from all us sledders made a point to leave snowmobiling off the site.

We should take some examples from Canada...they welcome the cash and sleds with open arms.

 

[Dogmeat]

people who don't support snowmobiling need to be obliterated to death and their souls mutilated and set on fire.

 

[B C]

Gov. Brian Schweitzer announced the campaign in a press release last week

Need I quote more? Between him, Tester, Baucus, and Komrade Obama we're lucky we still get to ride at all.

 

[mtbroncrider]

Gov. Brian Schweitzer/LT GOV Bolinger dont bother me, i actually think they have done alot of good for the state

Old max isnt that bad....but tester just drives me nuts

that damn foerestry bill of his is nuts! It does nothing to bring back any of the industry we used to have, doesnt add any incentive to rebuild any mills or expand what little mining we have left, will make even more area's a PITA to get into.....


I think Cooke and lincoln do pretty good without helena's help...but the state itself is leaving alot of money on someone else's table

 

[stum1967]

Every one should look forward to winter so you can cram your buddies into a truck after work and drive 16 hours so you can hug a snow covered pine tree, photograph a wolf and eat a veggie-burger with a side of trail mix. Wait, if we are not pulling sleds, may be we should take the Prius instead. Just think of all the tourism dollars we will generate!

 

[XXL]

Gov. Brian Schweitzer/LT GOV Bolinger dont bother me, i actually think they have done alot of good for the state

Old max isnt that bad....but tester just drives me nuts

that damn foerestry bill of his is nuts! It does nothing to bring back any of the industry we used to have, doesnt add any incentive to rebuild any mills or expand what little mining we have left, will make even more area's a PITA to get into.....


I think Cooke and lincoln do pretty good without helena's help...but the state itself is leaving alot of money on someone else's table

The dems are why we cant sled where we did in the past and is the party of the enviros and the huggers. All the goofy regs like outlawing regular incandesent light bulbs come from them. All dems are evil and need to have their ears pulled off.

 

[Cam27]

Remember this next time you vote.

 

[MT rydn]

Need I quote more? Between him, Tester, Baucus, and Komrade Obama we're lucky we still get to ride at all.

yes that's right and don't forget to mention our democrat gov - "BS" - Brian Schweitzer. He is also pro greenie / pro Wilderness and equal partner in these efforts with Tester-Baucus-Obama. None of them will support anything you do that involves enjoying our forests on anything with a motor. Lock out motorcycles/fourwheelers/snowmobiles/jeeps and limit your access. How does it make you feel when you drive up to one of those locked gates in the middle of an established trail that has been there for years??That's the greenie way and our Senators and Governor are right there with that effort.

Sad right now the multiple simultaneous efforts at expanding Wilderness designations around Montana (and all 3 - Tester/Baucus/Schweitzer are supporting more Wildnerness and thus less motorized access) and Wyoming.
Please support Rehberg's run against Tester.

 

[catnfool]

I agree, but the repubs sure haven't got off their azz's to help us much, either. Everybody runs and hides and pretends that EVERY gate off the main road has been locked up in most of the state!!

Grow a set, elected officials, or get someone in that isn't scared of the noisy little "occupy the woods" malcontent little dirtbags!!
HEY, there is an idea- WE are the 99% who WANT open lands- let's have a protest and camp at the to of Glacier Nat park; after all, it is PUBLIC LAND, and you are allowed to protest there

 

[CatWoman]

Bahahahaha.....love it! I agree, if protesters are allowed to camp out wherever they want for however long they want, then that should go for ALL.

 

[miralas]

Lock out motorcycles/fourwheelers/snowmobiles/jeeps and limit your access.

its not just motor sports either. one of my friends that works for a bike shop says that there trying to cut mountain biking out mountain recreation also. some lady came in a talked to him about it and mentioned something about the chain oil getting in the dirt plus how it erodes the land. thats a little out of hand if u ask me. my personal thoughts is that horseback riding mashes up the trails more then any of this sports and makes trails nearly impossible to walk on if horses had been ridden during rainy days.

i love back packing and skiing and all that other granola stuff but there is way more then enough land to share in the mountains. i might be a little off topic here when it comes to the winter marketing but these government officials need to open there eyes. if we could just get them to come try snowmobiling...

 

[Tim Healy]

its not just motor sports either. one of my friends that works for a bike shop says that there trying to cut mountain biking out mountain recreation also. some lady came in a talked to him about it and mentioned something about the chain oil getting in the dirt plus how it erodes the land. thats a little out of hand if u ask me. my personal thoughts is that horseback riding mashes up the trails more then any of this sports and makes trails nearly impossible to walk on if horses had been ridden during rainy days.

i love back packing and skiing and all that other granola stuff but there is way more then enough land to share in the mountains. i might be a little off topic here when it comes to the winter marketing but these government officials need to open there eyes. if we could just get them to come try snowmobiling...

If they are going to go on what erodes thing look at the hiking trail it causes way more impact then snowmobiles. but there is always hope that we could become our own nation. the republic of montana would be a great place to live

 

[Scott]

If they are going to go on what erodes thing look at the hiking trail it causes way more impact then snowmobiles. but there is always hope that we could become our own nation. the republic of montana would be a great place to live

FOR SURE!!!!!

its not just motor sports either. one of my friends that works for a bike shop says that there trying to cut mountain biking out mountain recreation also. some lady came in a talked to him about it and mentioned something about the chain oil getting in the dirt plus how it erodes the land. thats a little out of hand if u ask me. my personal thoughts is that horseback riding mashes up the trails more then any of this sports and makes trails nearly impossible to walk on if horses had been ridden during rainy days.

i love back packing and skiing and all that other granola stuff but there is way more then enough land to share in the mountains. i might be a little off topic here when it comes to the winter marketing but these government officials need to open there eyes. if we could just get them to come try snowmobiling...

Yeah, go into the Bob and see how those trails look. They always having to do trail maintenence to rehab and reclaim trails.

You never see them doing snowmobile trail maintenence with SHOVELS, PIC AXES AND EROSION DIVERTERS!!!!

 

[Team Wild]

I think its great to go to a place like Yellowstone and see where animals have created game trails. Often these are in places erosion can occur. Damn nature trying to destroy nature. We should outlaw animals from the park to keep it prestine. Hell I think the Buffalo crap in the streams.

 

[Tim Healy]

nature is neat.

http://youtu.be/6jgvNqNKJ5Q

 

[jthussey]

^^^^^ A buddy of mine showed me this over the 4th of July and I still watch it about twice a week. He now has a shirt that says "thats pretty neat"

 

[MT rydn]

its not just motor sports either. one of my friends that works for a bike shop says that there trying to cut mountain biking out mountain recreation also. some lady came in a talked to him about it and mentioned something about the chain oil getting in the dirt plus how it erodes the land. thats a little out of hand if u ask me. my personal thoughts is that horseback riding mashes up the trails more then any of this sports and makes trails nearly impossible to walk on if horses had been ridden during rainy days.

i love back packing and skiing and all that other granola stuff but there is way more then enough land to share in the mountains. i might be a little off topic here when it comes to the winter marketing but these government officials need to open there eyes. if we could just get them to come try snowmobiling...

Here is the problem. And hell will freeze over before we solve it - every group has their own issue and won't work with others. Won't "Share". i.e - those mountain bike users (most) don't care if motorized people have access. It's ok with them and they (most of the time is true) don't think motorized users deserve to be there. They are pretty much aligned with the greenie hiker. Same goes with horseman (most). Horseman line up (most of time) with Wildnerness if it means they get access with their "natural' animals (digging ruts deeper than dirt bikes/four wheelers/snowmobiles combined). The mountain bikers (most), horseman (most) don't care any more for your motorized access than greenie hiker or the New York City know it all.

If all groups - motorized (and that means summer and winter users because even these groups don't always take up the cause of the other), mountain bikes, horsemen, hikers, would see the good sense approach to supporting each others use then we could marginalize the radical environmentalist (Wildnerness) extreme group that want exactly what you are finding - they ultimately don't want anyone in the forests. Read their own information. Check out Citizens for Balanced Use, Families For Outdoor Recreation, etc web sites if have not although I know most reading this have.

 

[MT rydn]

Gov. Brian Schweitzer/LT GOV Bolinger dont bother me, i actually think they have done alot of good for the state

Old max isnt that bad....but tester just drives me nuts

that damn foerestry bill of his is nuts! It does nothing to bring back any of the industry we used to have, doesnt add any incentive to rebuild any mills or expand what little mining we have left, will make even more area's a PITA to get into.....


I think Cooke and lincoln do pretty good without helena's help...but the state itself is leaving alot of money on someone else's table

Sorry to sound harsh, but Baucus is part of the problem. His marks are all over pro greenie / pro Wildnerness agenda. No way can defend him here. Find me one news article to counter that. Rehberg is your only friend as far as access goes. Obama/Baucus/Tester/Schweizer are all pro greenie / pro Wildnerness and do not care about your motorized access.