Tourism board pressed on 92% funding ask for GTNP geology audio tour

The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board is staring at a familiar procedural pinch point: a late fiscal-year funding request that puts the board in the position of underwriting almost the entire project. In a staff Q&A tied to the application for an “Outer Park Road Grand Teton National Park Geology Tour,” the applicant acknowledges JHTTB would fund 92% of the total budget and says they do not expect another ask unless this one is denied, in which case they would reapply for the same amount in FY27. The discussion is set for May 14 (with the Zoom recording linked in the report). Outer Park Road Grand Teton National Park Geology Tour Staff Report.

Board members also drilled into who controls the finished product and how widely it can be used. The applicant says Teton Geological Services would own the final content, licensing it to TravelStorysGPS for hosting, while also licensing it to JHTTB for full display on the JHTTB website via a TravelStorys website plugin. They add that other organizations could link to the tour at no cost, and that channel-by-channel usage tracking could be added with “modest customization.”

The other big gate is timing and messaging. Because the funds would have to be spent and invoiced by June 30, the applicant says it would move on a rush production schedule, with narratives created and recorded immediately and testing in June. On content, they promise responsible recreation messaging “woven into multiple narratives,” including wildlife management, clean water, dark skies, and climate change, and say they are open to using messaging approved by JHTTB.