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OREGON HIGH DESERT INTERPRETIVE CENTERECONOMIC FEASIBILITY AND IMPACT ANALYSIS

iHARNEY COUNTY . BURNS, OREGON

12 December 1994

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Dean Runyan Associates815 SW Second Avenue, Suite 620Portland, Oregon 97204503 226-2973

SMH Architecture, PC320 SW Sixth AvenuePortland, Oregon 97204503 225-0034

Jean Jacques AndreConsultants Ltd.1519 Amelia StreetVictoria, British ColumbiaV8W2K1 Canada604 389-1677

Stephen Dow Beckham, Ph.D1389 SW Hood View LaneLake Oswego, Oregon 97034503 635-1775

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Table of Contents

Participants / Acknowledgments

Summary

I. Introduction

V. Economic Impacts

VI. Recommendations

Appendix

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II. Interpretive Program and Site Review 13

III. Market Analysis 27

IV. Attendance and Financial Forecasts 49

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Participants / Acknowledgments

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Judge, Hartley County Court:Dale White

Harney County Commissioner:Lee Wallace

Harney County Chamber of Commerce:Jean CainLinda JohnsonMark Smith

Harney County Historical Society:Sharon Jones

Bureau of Land Management:Steve AndersonMark ArmstrongMike GreenCody HansenDoug StallerDave Vickstrom

U.S. Fish & Wildlife:Forrest CameronDoug StallerBeth Ullenberg

U.S. Forest Service:Jim KenistonJim PenaDebbie PhillipsJoan SutherAlan Redman

Burns Paiute Tribal Office:Kenton Dick

City of Burns:Harvey BarnesPam Mather

P.R.I.D.E;Jan Cupernall

Ida/Or Planning and DevelopmentAssociation:

Jim Birdsall

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ISUMMARY

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Summary

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H arney Basin lies in Oregon'sfar country. It stretches fromthe pine-covered slopes of the

Ochoco and Malheur National Forestson the north toward the almost limit-less deserts of the Great Basin beyondSteens Mountain, Catlow Valley, andthe Alvord Desert. It encompasses allof Harney County and portions of Lakeand Malheur Counties, and borders thebalance of the Great Basin regions ofNevada and Idaho.

At times it is a place where the horizonis the nearest neighbor, where the nightsky is illuminated by a million stars,and where the sagebrush plain runsfrom forests into vast interior lakes orshimmering alkali flats. It is rendez-vous on the Pacific flyway for migra-tory birds, a landscape so abundant inwildlife, in fact, that it rivals in appear-ance the plains and rift valleys of EastAfrica. It is a place where the glacially-sculpted gorges of Steens Mountainconfirm the slow but steady forces ofchange that have given this land itspersonality.

The Harney Basin is a regional andnational treasure that merits the most

conscientious management andinterpretation. It is a harsh land for itsanimal and human inhabitants, requir-ing the most creative and dedicatedmeasures for survival and mainte-nance. The struggles of its inhabitants,and the admirability of their successes,are one of the most important threadsin its story.

Harney County is the heart of theNorthern Great Basin and boasts of theMalheur National Wildlife Refuge andSteens Mountain, important visitordestinations. The foothills of the BlueMountains lie to the north, offeringmountain, stream and lake recreation.To the southwest in Lake County isHart Mountain, which with adjacentareas are important habitats for wild-life. To the east and south are theNorthern Great Basin areas that lie inMalheur County and northern Nevada.The communities of Burns and Hinesserve as an industrial and commercialcenter and are the location of historicbuildings and artifacts. Burns is alsothe location of the Burns Paiute IndianReservation.

The wide dispersion of significant sitesoffers a particular challenge. Particrticu-

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larly important attractions are locatedin the southern part of the HarneyBasin, removed from major highwayaccess and the most populated area ofthe region. Many travelers simply passthrough on Highways 20 and 395unaware of the fascinating naturalareas to the north and south.

The Facility

The proposed High Desert InterpretiveCenter would be located in or near thecommunities of Burns and Hines innorthern Harney County. The Centerwould inform visitors to HarneyCounty of the opportunities for educa-tion, recreation and travel throughoutthe area. In addition the Center wouldbe a cultural and natural history attrac-tion in its own right, providing infor-mation and education for a wide vari-ety of visitors. It would serve as a basefor group activities, educational func-tions, special events, and other pro-grams that enhance visitation and itseconomic impacts for the County.

A well-designed interpretive facilitywith engaging exhibits will give visi-tors a taste of what the rest of theregion holds. The planning team

recommends the concept of a centralinterpretive hub linked with otherinterpretive sites throughout the re-gion. This approach is consistent withinterpretive programs already underdevelopment by the Bureau of LandManagement and the U.S. ForestService. It would best serve a range oftravelers, and would also take advan-tage of already existing and potentialsatellite sites. The planning team alsorecommends further study of fourpotential sites in the Burns/Hines areafor the main interpretive center.

Visitor Market

The largest group of visitors to the areaare those oriented to wildlife viewing,auto touring and to some degree camp-ing, and are characterized by higheducation, good income, and only amoderate incidence of children. Mostcome from the urban areas of westernor central Oregon, but a significantportion are from other states andcountries. Typical length of stay isrelatively long, three or four days.Other visitors are more oriented tohunting and off-highway touring, andtend to be from nearby areas and haveshort average lengths of stay.

Travel activity in Harney County hasincreased steadily over the past tenyears, although the economic benefitsof this travel appear to be only moder-ate. Travel-generated sales rose from$6.9 million in 1987 to about $8.9 mil-lion in 1992, although they reached ahigh of $10.1 million in 1991. Employ-ment generated by these visitor expen-ditures has remained nearly flat atsomewhat over 170 people, includingboth full- and part-time employees.

Highway traffic analysis shows about525,000 visitors per year passingthrough Burns/Hines on Highway 20,and another 125,000 to 200,000 passingthrough via Highway 395. Assumingthat the travel represented by thesefigures does not overlap to any greatdegree, there appears to be approxi-mately 700,000 travelers throughBurns/Hines each year. Trends indi-cate steady growth in traffic, rising anaverage of 4.6% per year over the pastdecade.

Recreation in the Ochoco and MalheurNational forests includes fishing,camping, hiking, hunting and sight-seeing. Forest Service staff estimate

that approximately 100,000 visitors peryear visit the portions of the two Na-tional Forests that lie in HarneyCounty. Camping use for 1993 totaledabout 40,000 visitor-days, most ofwhich occurred on the Ochoco Na-tional Forest. Visitation to the MalheurNational Wildlife Refuge and to SteensMountain is about 50,000 people peryear each, with only limited overlapamong these numbers.

This information indicates that visita-tion currently is focused on the naturalresource areas represented by theNational Forests, the Refuge andSteens Mountain. There also is a sub-stantial visitor flow through Burns/Hines that patronizes local businesses.

These patterns, combined with theestimate from above of about 700,000visitors passing through Burns/Hineseach year, indicates that:

• there is substantial potential for agood quality visitor attraction in ornear Burns/Hines; at present visi-tors mainly use the community forcommercial services, and

• the primary attraction to the area isits natural resources.

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Projections

A total of 100,000 visitors per year areprojected for the proposed facility.This amount is well over that for JohnDay Fossil Beds, somewhat over cur-rent demand for Great Basin NationalPark and about half that for the HighDesert Museum in Bend, Oregon. Ofthis amount 40% are assumed to payadmission and visit the interpretiveportion of the facility. These projec-tions further show an average peakday of 813 visitors, which would occuron a weekend day in July. The peakon-site crowd would be 66 people and22 vehicles.

Facility Size and CapitalBudgetFor purposes of projecting capital andoperating costs a facility of 8,000 sf isassumed, of which 5,000 sf is exhibitarea. The latter figure includes a 1,000sf theater for 60 people, and would beassociated with outdoor exhibits aswell. The projected capital budgetamounts to $4.25 million.

Preliminary OperatingBudgetThe preliminary operating budget isbased on full-scale operation of theproposed facility, 100,000 visitors peryear of which 40,000 pay admission tothe interpretive exhibits. Admissionfee is set at $3.00 for an adult. In addi-tion 200 class admissions per year areassumed, and membership of 400people. The overall operating budgetfor the facility is $237,000 per year,which includes retail sales to visitors.Excluding retail sales income thebudget is $162,000 per year. Somewhatover a third of revenue is from admis-sion fees, with retail sales providing anadditional third.

The revenue projection includes an"agency contribution" category thatrepresents agency, chamber of com-merce or other contributions to thefacility, either in cash or in terms ofongoing staff assignments. This couldbe either larger or smaller dependingon the staff or financial support avail-able in this manner.

Staff is a large cost factor, amounting to66% including wages and fringe. Thisamount assumes an annual average offive full-time-equivalent (FTE) staff.The staff budget could be reduced tothe extent that staffing needs are cov-ered with part-time and/or seasonalstaff, winter staffing is minimized, andvolunteers utilized.

Economic Impacts

At the construction phase, a total of 33jobs will be created over a 2-yearperiod for site preparation, construc-tion and pre-opening work.

Ongoing economic benefits relate tothe year-to-year operation of the facil-ity and are the most important toconsider. The facility will provideemployment for its staff, and willgenerate demand in the local area forsupplies and services. In addition anumber of benefits will accrue to theCounty from visitor expenditures inthe area. The combined annual im-pacts total over $1.1 million in visitorexpenditures and employment for 24people, making use of an intermediateimpact revenue generation scenario.

The bulk of the visitor expenditure andemployment impacts occur off-site,while payroll is proportionally moreassociated with the facility itself.

Recommendations

The facility should introduce visitors tothe natural features of the region andeducate the public in order to encour-age more appreciation and explorationof the region. Facility design shouldconsider:

• Views of the distant SteensMountain above the MalheurNational Wildlife Refuge to offer avisual connection between thefacility and the region,

• Site developments designed tointegrate into the natural context,including the arrival sequence,outdoor exhibits, and other outdoorspaces,

• A strong relationship betweenindoor and outdoor spaces of thefacility,

• Building design should be sensitiveto the natural and built context inscale, form, and use of natural localmaterials; energy conservation isalso important.

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Other specific recommendations in-clude:

• Prepare a facility master plan.

A master plan, prepared prior to de-signing and building the facility, allowsfor refinement of the mission, interpre-tive program, site selection, scope andother matters that will strongly affectthe facility that is actually built andoperated.

• Strive to build and operate as goodquality a facility as possible.

A high quality facility will serve best toattract visitation, both impulse visita-tion on the part of highway travelersand destination visitation by first-timeor repeat visitors. Burns/Hines is inthe best position of any community inthe Northern Great Basin to informabout and interpret this region, andshould take as much advantage of thissituation as possible.

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• Site the facility carefully, withlong-run objectives in mind.

As with any business, location is veryimportant for long-run success. Careshould be taken to acquire the best sitepossible for the facility, even thoughother sites may be available soonerand/or at a lower cost.

• Select a name representing theGreat Basin.

Over time the facility should earn itsown clear, unique identity, taking itsplace among other important historical,cultural and visitor facilities in Oregonand the Northwest. A name should beselected that enhances this process ofinstitution-building, and also embodiesthe significance of the region withwhich the facility will be associated.We recommend a name such as theGreat Basin Museum or the Museum ofthe Great Basin. While adopting aname that attaches the facility firmly tothe Northern Great Basin has theadvantages of visibility and "market-ability," fulfilling the implied commit-ment associated with this identity willrequire substantial and ongoing effort.

• Develop and operate the facility asa basis for cooperative programsand marketing.

The facility will operate best to encour-age visitation throughout HarneyCounty if all significant entities in theCounty participate in its design andoperation. The facility should be anasset that is useful to all facility andresource managers, businesses andcommunities. It would provide a focusand vehicle for their education, inter-pretation, cultural and visitor activity,and other programs.

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II. INTRODUCTION

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Introduction

The Setting

Harney Basin lies in Oregon'sfar country. At times it is aplace where the horizon is the

nearest neighbor, where the night skyis illuminated by a million stars, andwhere the sagebrush plain runs mi-raculously from forests into vast inte-rior lakes or shimmering alkali flats. Itis rendezvous on the Pacific flyway formigratory birds, a landscape so abun-dant in wildlife, in fact, that it rivals inappearance the plains and rift valleysof East Africa. It is a land of manyfaces, a place where the glacially-sculpted gorges of Steens Mountainconfirm the slow but steady forces ofchange that have given this land itscharacter.

Harney County

The Great Basin

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Charles Erskine Scott Wood, soldier,attorney, and sometime major investorin the P Ranch at the northern base ofSteens Mountain, celebrated theregion's splendor in Poet in the Desert(1918):

How rich is our palace of Light,Not only the overarching skiesThe wide-spreading seaAnd the engirding mountains,The Desert and towering clouds ....

The Harney Basin is—in many ways—a "Palace of Light." It is that settingwhere mountains, deserts, and tower-ing clouds set the stage on which haveplayed the remarkable dramas ofhuman history.

The Interpretive CenterConceptThe proposed High Desert InterpretiveCenter would be located in or near thecommunities of Burns and Hines(called Burns/Hines hereafter), innorthern Harney County. The Centerwould inform visitors to HarneyCounty of the opportunities for educa-tion, recreation and travel throughoutthe area and in so doing extending

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their length of stay in the area; increas-ing future travel by these visitors to thearea is a related objective.

In addition the center would be acultural and natural history attractionin its own right, providing informationand education for a wide variety ofvisitors and serving as a base for groupactivities, educational functions, spe-cial events, and other programs thatenhance visitation and its economicimpacts for the County.

This study investigates the feasibilityof a facility such as this, focusing inparticular on the following objectives:

• Refining the facility concept forpurposes of feasibility analysis,siting and impact analysis, includ-ing interpretive themes, scope, andrelationship to other attractions andfacilities;

• Assessing site requirements and thegeneral suitability of sites in theBurns/Hines area;

• Analyzing the market for the pro-posed facility;

• Projecting facility demand in termsof attendance, with breakouts by

season, day of week, and otherpertinent factors;

• Estimating development cost andpreparing a preliminary operatingbudget;

• Analyzing the potential for generat-ing economic benefits throughoutHarney County.

The project involved meeting with abroad-based committee representing avariety of interests in Harney County,including but not limited to city andcounty government, state and federalagencies, Native Americans, regionaleconomic development agencies,chamber of commerce and businessinterests, and the local historical soci-ety.

Discussions were held with this com-mittee at the onset of the project, forpurposes of presenting and discussingpreliminary site and market assess-ments and preparing a preliminaryinterpretive theme structure for theproposed facility, and for reviewing thefindings and recommendations in thedraft project report.

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II. INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMAND SITE REVIEW

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Interpretive Program and Site Review

A n important portion of thisproject involved analyzing thepotential for interpretive and

educational programs in the Countyand preparing a preliminary themestructure for the facility. This processresulted in the clarity regarding scopeand interpretive program that wasrequired in order to properly investi-gate the potential for the facility. Inaddition this project reviewed a num-ber of potential sites and makes recom-mendations regarding the most desir-able of these.

Regional InterpretiveProgram ConceptThe Harney Basin stretches from thepine-covered slopes of the Ochoco andMalheur National Forests on the northtoward the almost limitless deserts ofthe Great Basin beyond Steens Moun-tain, Catlow Valley, and the AlvordDesert. It encompasses all of HarneyCounty and portions of Lake andMalheur Counties, and borders thevast Great Basin region of Nevada.

This is a land written large and a placeof magnetism for those seeking adven-

ture, solitude, and a chance to explorepart of Oregon that lies "out back ofbeyond." It is a regional and nationaltreasure that merits the most conscien-tious management and interpretation.

The visitor to this region can discovermany stories and a full display ofnature's majesty. The opportunitybeckons to lift up for the visitor theattractions of this matchless place andinvite the traveler to step into the HighDesert. The resources are multiple andits magnetism is compelling.

The Land

Harney County lies at the northernedge of the Great Basin. It is part ofthat almost magical, inner being of theAmerican West sequestered betweengreat mountain ranges, its streamcourses never reaching the sea. It is aplace of level plain, arid desert, well-watered oases and lakes, upliftedmountains like the Steens, and spar-kling rivers like the Dormer UndBlitzen. The volcanic craters, basaltflows, and evidence of glaciers docu-ment its remarkable geological history.

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It is a harsh land for its animal andhuman inhabitants, requiring the mostcreative and dedicated measures forsurvival and maintenance. Thestruggles of its inhabitants, and theenviability of their successes, are one ofthe most important threads in its story.

The Wildlife

Harney County's lakes and wetlandsare home to diverse birds and mam-mals. Some are year-round residents;others are sojourners. Nowhere else inOregon is it possible to view so manydifferent birds in such large numbersthan at the Malheur National WildlifeRefuge. To the north coniferous forestsare a different environment. Themountains capture rainfall and nourishspecial communities of plants andserve as important habitat for deer, elk,and bear, as well as host of small mam-mals.

The great sage-covered plains run intolake margins that provide lush feed forboth wild and domesticated animals.Herds of deer graze amid sandhillcranes, feral horses and burros, andpronghorn antelope. The Harney Basin

is testimony to nature's handiworkwritten large, a place where livingthings abound.

The People

Thousands of years ago—so long agoin fact that they hunted camels andhorses of the last great ice age—hu-mans came into this land and made ithome. Evidence of the long NativeAmerican residency which stretchesover the last 10,000 years is found atmany places in the Harney Basin.Projectile points, manos and metates,atlatls and pieces of darts, obsidianknives, fragments of cattail fiber mat-ting, woven plant-fiber sandals, foundperfectly preserved in caves—these arethe clues to time-tested lifeways whichendured over the millennia in thisplace.

Today the Northern Paiute, residents ofthe Burns Paiute Indian Reservationand holders of trust lands at old FortHarney and elsewhere in the northernportion of the county, retain many oftheir old lifeways and much of theirtraditional language. They haveshared part of the legacy of the ages

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with others and told in their oral litera-ture how this world came to be. Speak-ing of the life-giving rain that renewsthe High Desert, a Northern Paiuteearlier in this century spoke of "Thun-der Badger," a mythical mammal andhis role in nature:

Thunder Badger lives up in the sky,he is striped like any badger.When the earth dries up it makes himangry,he wants the earth to be moist.Then he puts his head down and digslike a badger,then the clouds come up in a flurry,then the loud earth-cursing comes, thethunder,then the rain comes down all over.

The Paiute, with forbearance, havewaited for Thunder Badger to unleashthe thunder and the accompanyingrain to renew the vital root crops, fillthe rivers where they fished, andsustain the lakes where they hunted.Although their history testifies toinjustice and dispossession, they re-main, an inheritor of unparalleledhuman experiences in Oregon's GreatBasin country.

The cast of characters of the history ofwestern Americans also passed thisway: fur seekers, overland emigrants,gold miners, ranchers, townsite devel-opers, teamsters and freighters, cow-boys and sheep herders, enduringwives, eager children, loggers and millworkers, government surveyors andland managers—these, too, are in thecast of characters. Here they havedreamed their dreams, struggled andsucceeded, and helped spin specialstories.

The opportunities beckon to tell ofcolorful personalities, conflicts betweencommunities, fortunes made and lost,and changing attitudes about the land,its promise, and its meaning to suc-ceeding generations. Many of thesestories are uniquely the property of theHigh Desert Country. Nowhere elsecan they be told with such power on sogrand a stage. Nature has provide theset pieces. The challenge is to raise thecurtain and let the story begin.

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Organizing the Themes andResourcesThe Malheur National Wildlife Refugeand Steens Mountain are nationaltreasures and important visitor desti-nations in the Northern Great Basin,and are located in Harney County. Thefoothills of the Blue Mountains lie tothe north, offering mountain, streamand lake recreation. To the southwestin Lake County is Hart Mountain,which with adjacent areas is an impor-tant habitat for wildlife includingantelope and birds. To the east andsouth are the Northern Great Basinareas of Malheur County and northernNevada. The communities of Burnsand Hines serve as an industrial andcommercial center for the region andare the location of historic buildingsand artifacts. Burns is also the locationof the Burns Paiute Indian Reservation.

The wide dispersion of significant sitesoffers a particular challenge. Particu-larly important attractions are locatedin the southern part of the HarneyBasin, removed from major highwayaccess and the most populated area ofthe region—the towns of Burns and

Hines. Many travelers simply passthrough on Highways 20 and 395unaware of the fascinating naturalareas to the north and south. With thedevelopment of a regional interpretivefacility within the Burns/Hines vicin-ity, the opportunity exists to acquaintvisitors with the spectacular naturalareas that are visible only on the dis-tant horizon, or beyond.

A well-designed interpretive facilitywith engaging exhibits will give visi-tors a taste of what the rest of theregion holds, enticing them to furtherexplore the natural and cultural historyof the Northern Great Basin andHarney County.

There are three possible facilities con-cepts to support a regional interpretiveprogram:1. A single central facility that tells the

complete story of the entire area,2. A string of equivalent interpretive

sites throughout the region,3. A combination of a central hub

facility that gives an overview andbackground, with satellite sites thatgive more in-depth information on-location.

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The planning team recommendsOption 3, the concept of a central hublinked with other interpretive sitesthroughout the region. This approachis consistent with interpretive pro-grams already under development bythe Bureau of Land Management andthe U.S. Forest Service, would bestserve a range of travelers, and wouldalso take advantage of already existingand potential satellite sites. The centralhub facility would fit well into theBurns/Hines community— where itwould benefit from the central locationand access to services. It would alsobring business to the towns from thetravelers it attracts.

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Preliminary InterpretiveProgram PlanningThe objective of the planning work-shop held in August 1994 was to re-view and discuss the many featuresand attributes of Harney County andto identify the extent of interpretationthe facility may wish to address.

At first the role of the facility seemed tobe clearly defined. It appeared all thatwas needed was a welcoming space,easily accessible from the highway,orienting visitors to the other moreremote areas Harney County. It wouldintroduce everything from the remoteportions of Harney County and thewealth of natural wonders it offers, tothe dramatic geological formations andthe outstanding variety of birds.Added to the interpretation would beinformation on mammals, plants,insects and historical structures andpersonalities unique to this area.

The workshop expanded and enrichedthis perspective, and produced a dis-covery of its own. The interest andparticipation of all participants broughtto life potential themes not considered

before. These included the communityitself: its spirit, pride, and values. Theresult was a skeletal development of atheme structure (or storyline) enablingthe planning team to identify thesequence of themes and priorities. Thisis a very useful stage of developmentto achieve, which generally occursduring a subsequent master planningphase.

The following pages outline the themestructure (Fig. II-2) in some detail —illustrating a number of individualthemes and their relationships — aswas developed in collaboration withworkshop participants. Not all indi-vidual items are necessarily here at thisstage, and would be added during thenext phase of program design. Asummary diagram (Fig. II-l) of thepriorities was established at the work-shop among the primary themes. It isnotable in that it includes a relativelylarge introduction/orientation segment(20%, which would probably corre-spond to the portion of the facility thathas no fee for admission), with theremainder (80%) dedicated to theremaining themes (and requiring a feefor admission.)

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HISTORY/COMMUNITY fCONCLUSION

Figure 11-1: Prioritization of ThemesJJ Andr6 AssociatesAugust 1994

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WILDLIFE

Figure 11-2: Preliminary Theme StructureJJ Andr6 AssociatesAugust 1994

MAMMALS(57 SPECIES)

DEERANTELOPEBIG HORN

WILD HORSESELK

BLACK BEARSPORCUPINES

COYOTEETC.

BIRDS(300t SPECIES)

GREAT DIVERSITY60 SPECIESIN ONE DAY

RAPTORSEAGLESHAWKS

FALCONSKESTRELS

OWLSETC.

GAME BIRDSSAGE GROUSE

ETC.

MIGRATORYSNOW GEESE

SANDHILLCRANES

PELICANSCORMORANT

IBISSWANS

BOBILINKETC.

TRUMPETERSWAN

COMEBACKSTORY

HUMMING BIRDS(8 SPECIES)

MORE UNUSUALSIGHTINGS THANANYWHERE ELSE

IN OREGON

Iffs OF lOWs OFACRES OFPRIVATE

PROPERTYCONTRIBUTED TOMIGRATORY BIRDS

HISTORICALIRRIGATIONSYSTEMS IN

PLACE

V

OTHER

INSECTS

FISH

REPTILES

_\

MANAGEMENT& PROTECTION .

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STORY OFTHE STICKERS

(3rd & 4thGENERATIONRANCHERS

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Site Review

The most important attributes of apossible site are those that strengthenthe role of the center as an interpretivehub to the region, as well as those thatenhance the visitor's experience of thefacility. Such qualities would include:• High visibility from the highways

passing through Burns and Hines,• Potential for an interesting arrival

transition from the highway to theinterpretive center,

• Convenient and safe access forvehicles and pedestrians,

• A positive and interesting naturaland/or built context,

• Orientation toward views of thedistant Steens Mountain above theMalheur National Wildlife Refugeto the south,

• Flood plain location,• Vegetation, an interesting topogra-

phy and sufficient space to supporton-site interpretive paths,

• Adequate site area for the building,outdoor interpretive areas andparking.

Issues that also must be taken intoconsideration for site selection include

present ownership of the property,availability and cost, utility infrastruc-ture, building limitations due to soil orother geo-tech factors, and any otherregulatory restrictions.

Although some weaknesses in access,ownership, and other building consid-erations can be overcome, potentialsites must have good visibility andstrong support for interpretive activi-ties.

The planning team selected severaldiverse sites in the Burns/Hines areathat satisfy the criteria listed above toat least some degree. (See Figure II-3)The sites were selected and studied byDean Runyan Associates and SMHArchitecture, and were also reviewedby J.J. Andre Associates and Dr.Beckham. Based on the analysis of thesites it is recommended that four of thenine sites be studied in greater depth inthe next phase of work. These foursites are summarized in the next sec-tion; the other five sites are summa-rized in the Appendix. Attributes of allthe sites considered are reviewed in theSite Assessment Summary (Figure II-4).

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Summary of Selected Sites

Rimrock Site

Visibility: Visibility was consideredby the planning team as a particularlyimportant criterion. While it might bepossible to see a building on this sitearriving from the north on highways 20and 395, the presence of the interpre-tive center would rely primarily ongood signage on the highway.Views: The site is on the edge of abluff overlooking a residential area innorthern Burns. The best views are tothe east that include farmland anddistant hills. Unfortunately views tothe south of the distant mountains arescreened by trees and the residentialneighborhoods in the foreground. Tothe southwest there is new residentialdevelopment; to the west and north areviews of the hills on the Paiute IndianReservation and distant mountains. Aball field and its lights, which sitsdirectly below, would be somewhatdistracting.Interpretive Potential: The site itself iselevated and sagebrush-covered.Small pieces of obsidian are scatteredwidely; many appear to have been

worked by Indians. Interpretive pathswould be an interesting possibility.Access: Although the site is located onthe northwest edge of Burns, direct andclear access is difficult. Signs would berequired to direct visitors to make twoturns to reach the site from the high-way. Because the site is close to town,pedestrian and bicycle access would bepossible.Ownership: The land is on the PaiuteIndian Reservation. The availability ofthe site has not been established.

Grain Elevator Site

Visibility: This site is at the south endof Broadway Avenue (the "MainStreet" of Burns). Viewed from thenorth this is a highly visible site; how-ever, signage would be required todirect attention to the building fortraffic coming into town.Views: The land adjacent to the site isflat, offering some views to the south.The best views would be from upperlevels within the building. An indus-trial/farm equipment yard to thesoutheast would be need to bescreened or cleaned up.

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Interpretive Potential: The existinghistoric grain storage structures on thesite could be incorporated into theinterpretive center. On-site interpretivepaths are possible, but would requiremore effort than the other three sites tomake them interesting for visitors.Access / Context: Due to the locationof this site at the south end of Broad-way Avenue, near a main highwayintersection, access is good. It is closeenough to hotels, restaurants, cafes,and other services in town to supportpedestrian access. The scale and char-acter of the "Main Street"/"StorefrontCommercial" development pattern alsoencourages pedestrian use. This sitehas the potential to support futurecommercial uses along BroadwayAvenue that would preserve andstrengthen the existing form of thetown.Ownership: The land appears to beowned by Harney County Farm Sup-ply. Some parts of the site are currentlyin use. It is unknown whether some orall of the site could be acquired.Flood Plain: The potential for floodingon this site would need to be investi-gated.

South Butte Site

Visibility: The South Butte site ishighly visible from Highway 20/395.The site is located on a hill just south ofHines on the west side of the highway.It appears the best location for thefacility would be toward the road,slightly lower than the top of the hillfor best visibility from the highway.Views: The site is oriented toward thesouth, offering excellent views of theforeground and distant basin land-scape.Interpretive Potential: The site is asagebrush-covered hill, typical of theGreat Basin. Views of the landscapecould be incorporated as part of theinterpretive design. On-site interpre-tive paths could take advantage ofnative vegetation and other site at-tributes. There may be geothermalpotential for the site.Access: The site is located on a stretchof high-speed road which would posesome access and safety concerns. Autoaccess would be good; bike access ispossible if a bike lane or separate pathto Hines were developed. The distanceto Hines is too far for pedestrian ac-cess. A gravel pit located at the top of

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the hill could be developed as a park-ing lot, although some land restorationand revegetation would be required.Ownership: Because the land is pri-vately owned, acquisition would berequired, perhaps through a land trade.

Sage Hen Hill Site

Visibility: The Sage Hen Hill site is inmany ways similar to the South ButteSite. It is on a hill just south of Hineson the east side of Highway 20/395,providing good visibility from thehighway.Views: The views to the south of thewildlife refuge and mountains aregood, but an existing junkyard in theforeground would need to be removed.Hills in the foreground to the south-west frame views of farmland.Interpretive Potential: The site has anexisting gravel pit in a sagebrush-covered hill that would require somerestoration and revegetation. On-siteinterpretive paths could also takeadvantage of the views and vegetation.Access: Like the South Butte Site, thehigh-speed highway is a safety issue.Ownership: The land is also privatelyowned and would require acquisition.

in EfleVator ^ \

Figure 11-3:PotentialInterpretive CenterSitesSMH Architecture

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Figure 11-4: Site Assessment SummarySMH Architecture

CONSIDERATIONS:

SITES:

Silvies River Sites (N&S)

Rimrock Site

Grain Elevator Site

Highway Site

Central Hines Site

Forest Service Site

LT&L Yard Site

South Butte Site

Sage Hen Hill Site

O

Interpretive Potential/Effectiveness

O

OO O O O

OO O O

O O O O

O

O

Access

OO OO O

OOO

BuildingFactors

Rating for each site relative to criteria:

Q High |J Medium Q Low

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III. MARKET ANALYSIS

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Market Analysis

Demand for the proposed facil-ity and the attendance it at-tracts will depend to a sub-

stantial degree on the market for visitoractivities and facilities in eastern Or-egon. The location, quality, programand other aspects of the facility, includ-ing its marketing, will also affect itsattendance. This section assessesoverall market conditions in HarneyCounty and reviews a selection ofcomparable historic and other facilitieswhich provide valuable informationregarding attendance, financial perfor-mance and other important concerns.

Travel Trends

Travel activity in Harney County hasincreased steadily over the past tenyears, although the economic benefitsof this travel appear to be only moder-ate. This section reviews travel andtourism trends, based on a variety ofavailable data. The following sectionprovides an overview of visitor charac-teristics.

Lodging Sales and Travel-GeneratedEconomic Impacts

Trends in lodging sales — the pur-chases of hotel, motel and B&B accom-modations by travelers — are a goodindicator of overnight visitor activity inthe county. Fortunately these sales canbe measured fairly accurately usingdata on room tax receipts, which areavailable since 1988. These figures —which cover only lodging locatedBurns or Hines — appear in FigureIII-l. Room sales are calculated fromroom tax receipts and the applicableroom tax rate. The findings show thatfor the county overall sales rose fromabout $700,000 in Fiscal Year 1987/88to nearly $1.1 million in 1993/94,although this increase occurred by1991, after which room sales in theCounty have been essentially flat.These amounts are unadjusted forinflation, and accordingly a portion ofthis increase is attributable to overallchanges in price levels.

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Figure 111-1: Lodging Sales, Harney County,1989-1993

Room Sales ($000)

1989 1990 1991 1992Fiscal Year

1993 1994

Source: Oregon Tourism Division and Dean RunyanAssociates

Table 111-1: Travel-Generated Economic Impacts,Harney County, 1987-1992

198719881989199019911992

6,9328,1317,8169,52010,1128,850

1,1051,2961,2631,5251,6261,448

178186173183205174

Source: Dean Runyan Associates

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Overnight lodging is directly related tothe economic benefits that derive fromtravel and tourism, although campingactivity and day travel also affecttrends in these benefits. Economicimpact figures for Harney County,including travel-generated sales andthe associated payroll and employ-ment, are available from studies pre-pared by Dean Runyan Associates eachyear for the Oregon Tourism Division.

These impact findings for the calendaryears 1987 through 1992 appear inTable III-l. The trends in impacts aregenerally upward, although not uni-formly so. Travel-generated expendi-tures, for example, rose from $6.9million in 1987 to about $8.9 million in1992, although they reached a high of$10.1 million in 1991. Figures for 1993are not available at this time. Employ-ment generated by these visitor expen-ditures has remained nearly flat atsomewhat over 170 people. This latterfigure includes both full- and part-timeemployees.

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Taking the sales, impacts and employ-ment figures together, it appears thatwhile travel-related sales have in-creased, employment has not, suggest-ing that overall the visitor industry hasremained a fairly constant segment ofthe Harney County economy.

Highway Traffic

Highway traffic volumes provide afairly direct measure of overall trafficactivity, which is useful for both docu-menting the magnitude of this volumeand for illustrating trends over time.The measure used here is AverageDaily Traffic (ADT), which representsthe total count of vehicles at a givenlocation in both directions, where allvehicles are included (autos, trucks,recreational vehicles, etc.). Trafficcounts such as this also include localarea residents as well as those travelingthrough the area, where the former arestrongly related to travel to and fromwork, for shopping, etc.

Overall traffic volumes on the high-ways through Burns/Hines appear inTable III-2 and show the predominanceof east-west traffic on Highway 20.

Table 111-2: Annual Traffic Volume by Highway Segment

Bend (US20)

Vale (US20)

Valley Falls (US395)

Canyon City (US395)

Burns Junction (SR78)

1,200 438,000

1,200 438,000

280 102,200

460 167,900

120 43,800

40%

40%

40%

40%

40%

175,200

175,200

40,880

67,160

17,520

525,600

525,600

122,640

201,480

52,560

Note: Average highway travel party size of 2.5 people.Source: Oregon Department of Transportation, Dean Runyan Associates

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ADT figures, which appear in the firstcolumn, are for locations at the mid-points of each highway segment (to theextent possible given the data avail-able) and represent the travel betweenthe communities on these segments,one of which is Burns/Hines in eachcase. Locations in or near the commu-nities tend to be dominated by trafficassociated with commuting to andfrom work, shopping, inter-businesstravel, deliveries, and so on. The ADTfigure for the locations east and west ofBurns average 1,200 vehicles per day,representing 438,000 vehicles per year.This includes all vehicles: trucks, autos,RV's, motorcycles, etc. ADT for High-way 395 is much lower, averagingbetween 280 and 460 vehicles per day.

The table also shows estimates ofvisitor traffic associated with eachhighway, based on an assessment ofthe proportion of all travelers on eachhighway segment that representsvisitors to the area (that is, not com-mercial truck traffic, commuting, etc.).For all highway segments an estimateof 40% for visitor traffic is used, whichis based on the annual cumulativedifference between low-point winter

traffic (which includes few visitors)and the greater traffic volumes thatoccur during the remainder of the year.These estimates show about 525,000visitors per year passing throughBurns/Hines on Highway 20, andanother 125,000 to 200,000 passingthrough via Highway 395. Assumingthat the travel represented by thesefigures does not overlap to any greatdegree, there appears to be approxi-mately 700,000 travelers throughBurns/Hines each year.

Historic data on highway traffic areuseful for illuminating long-termtrends in traffic activity and are avail-able for five specific locations thatpertain to the Burns/Hines area, eachof which is a permanent counter loca-tion for the Oregon Department ofTransportation. These locations are:

• US 20, 2.1 miles south of Hines(counter # 13-003)

• US 395,0.3 miles north of US High-way 20 intersection (counter #13-001)

• US 20, at Juntura (counter #23-013)• US 20, 5 miles east of Bend (counter

#09-005)

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• US 395, 0.3 miles south of junctionwith Oregon Highway 49 (nearValley Falls) (counter #19-004)

Trends in ADT for these locationsindicate fairly substantial growth overthe ten-year period from 1983 to 1992(which is the most recent year forwhich data are reported.) Figure III-2illustrates these trends for all countersother than 13-001, which is locatedessentially within Burns and is tooaffected by urban area traffic to serveas a reliable measure of travel to andthrough the area.

These findings indicate steady growthin traffic to and through Burns/Hines,rising an average of about 4.6% peryear on the average.

Traffic data also provide a useful indi-cation of seasonality. Figure III-3shows monthly ADT for 1992 for thecounter at Juntura, the most rural ofthe counters and probably most indica-tive of seasonal variations in the HighDesert area. ADT is about 800 vehiclesper day during the three slowest win-ter months, but rises to over 1,800during the month of July.

Figure 111-2: Average Daily Traffic (ADT) byyear, permanent counter locations near Burns

Average Vehicles/Day

2,500

•••• US 20 near Hines

-+— US 20 near Bend

* US 20 @ Juntura

D US 395 @ OR 31

1,000 -

5001983 1985 1987 1989 1991

Year

Source: Oregon Department of Transportation

Figure III-3: Average Daily Traffic (ADT) bymonth, Juntura counter, 1992

Average Vehicles/Day2,000

1,500

1,000

500

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecMonth

Source: Oregon Department of Transportation31

1Visitation to Steens Mountain, accord-ing to data in the Andrews PlanAmendment document, has increasedfrom 20,456 visitors in 1983 to 48,520visitors in 1992.

This visitation is highly seasonal,concentrated in the summer and, tosome degree, in the early fall.

Data for the Harney County HistoricalMuseum show visitation growing fromabout 1,400 for 1987 to over 2,100 for1993, with an average annual growthrate of 6%. According to entries in theguest register about a quarter of thesevisitors are from Harney County andanother third from Oregon, a thirdfrom other states and about 3% foreign.This distribution may under-representthe proportion from Harney County.Visitation typically peaks in June orJuly.

Forest Recreation and Camping

Recreation in the Ochoco and MalheurNational forests includes fishing,camping, hiking, hunting and sight-seeing. Forest Service staff estimatethat approximately 100,000 visitors per

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year visit the portions of the two Na-tional Forests that lie in HarneyCounty. Data are not available tomeasure what portion of this visitationis by local area residents.

Camping is a common form of visitoraccommodation in Harney County.Data from the U.S. Forest Serviceindicate that camping use for 1993totaled about 40,000 visitor-days, mostof which occurred on the OchocoNational Forest. According to the dataavailable camping activity on ForestService lands has remained fairlysteady since 1990.

Visitor Profile

Two sources of detailed data are avail-able regarding visitors to the HarneyCounty area, one from a survey con-ducted by the Cape May Bird Observa-tory of New Jersey on the MalheurNational Wildlife Refuge from June1993 through May 1994, and the otherfrom a survey conducted on SteensMountain between July and October1992. These findings are significant inthat they represent visitors to the twoprimary destination locations in theCounty.

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Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

The Malheur NWR survey findings arebased on data from 481 respondents,who are intended to represent thoseinterested in birding. The researchreport does not describe how thissample was assembled.

The primary findings of this study areas follows:

• Most visitors are middle age orolder; average age is approximately44 years; only about 15% are 30 oryounger

• Income levels are high, with 35%reporting a family income of$50,000 per year or more and only14% earning less that $25,000 peryear

• Education levels are very high, with85% reporting at least some 4-yearcollege and only 6% with only ahigh school education; more thanhalf had attended graduate school

• The bulk of respondents live inOregon (55% overall), with 25%from Multnomah County and 18%from Lane County, the two largesturban areas in the state

• Average length of stay in the area is3.4 days

• Average party size is 3.4 people• Repeat visit for 54%• Two thirds came primarily to the

Harney County area on their trip; ofthe quarter who also visited othersites they listed Hart Mountain,Klamath Forest, Fields, SummerLake and the Alvord Desert

• Interests other than birding indi-cated by 75%; most often men-tioned are scenery, wildlife, geol-ogy, hiking and botany

The Refuge also maintains a guestregister in which visitors to the BensonMuseum sign with name and place ofresidence. Analysis of a representativesample of 1,639 of these addressesprovides an indication of visitor originfor Refuge attendees, as shown in TableIII-3. These findings illustrate thatnearly two thirds (64.9%) of visitors arefrom Oregon, many (27.5%) fromPortland and the Willamette Valley.The proportion of Refuge visitors wholive in the local area is greatest duringthe fall, presumably related to birdhunting.

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Table 111-3: Visitor Origin, Malheur NWR, 1993-1994

Local Area

Portland

Willamette Valley

Central Oregon

Other Oregon

Washington

California

Other U.S.

Foreign

Total

Num. Respondents

14.8

18.4

10.1

2.1

21.4

9.0

4.5

16.3

3.4

100.0

533

7.2

15.4

13.1

2.9

29.4

15.8

2.9

12.3

1.0

100.0

612

Source: Malheur NWR and Dean Runyan Associates

5.6

15.9

9.3

5.8

22.5

16.3

6.2

17.8

0.6

100.0

484

9.2

16.5

11.0

3.5

24.7

13.8

4.4

15.2

1.7

100.0

1,629

Steens Mountain

The survey of Steens Mountain visitorswas conducted by the SoutheasternForest Experiment Station in coopera-tion with the BLM. The survey samplewas gathered at two entrance locationsto the Steens, Frenchglen and the Southentrance. A combination of interceptsand mail-return questionnaires wereused. The data base for this surveyincludes data from 546 respondents.

• For activities such as auto touring,day use and primitive camping themost common age group was 44 to64 years; hunters and anglerstended to be somewhat younger,more often in the 25 to 44 age group.

• Most respondents had at least somecollege or had received a collegedegree. Hunters were most likelyto have only a high school degree.

• The most common household typeoverall is two adults with no chil-dren. For auto tourers and dayusers the next most common typeof household is adults with one ormore children.

• Household income for the majorityof respondents was between$25,000 and $50,000 per year.

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• The most common origins of visi-tors for most activities were fromthe west: the urban counties ofMultnomah, Lane, Washington andClackamas and Deschutes Countyin Central Oregon.

• For auto tour, day use and campingparties the Steens Mountain area isthe primary destination for between80% and 90% of respondents.

• Between 50% and 60% of day users,auto tour visitors and campershave visited the area previously.

• Most visitors stayed overnight inthe area (camping, Frenchglen,Diamond) or at nearby accommo-dations (Bums).

Visitor Profile Summary

These findings provide a very usefulpicture of those visitors already at-tracted to the area, which consistlargely to two groups. The first andlargest group are those oriented towildlife viewing, auto touring and tosome degree camping, and are charac-terized by high education, good in-come, and only a moderate incidenceof children. Most come from the urbanareas of Oregon or Central Oregon, buta significant portion are from other

states and countries. Typical length ofstay is relatively long, three or fourdays.

The other group consists of huntersand to some degree those involved inhighway and off-highway touring.This group is primarily male, morelikely to be from the local area orregion, young and more often on a daytrip.

In addition to these two types of desti-nation visitors there are a number ofthose who pass through the area andstop, if at all, only for fuel, food andperhaps an overnight stay.

The county is fortunate, from a visitorindustry perspective, to be an estab-lished destination for a sizable numberof these visitors. It appears, however,that other types of visitors that aretypical for Oregon and the Northwestare less evident, in particular familieswith children and day visitors. Theproposed facility should focus onattracting more of these visitors to thearea and/or on extending the length ofstay of those who now only travelthrough.

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Analysis of Comparable •Facilities •

•This study involved investigating a ™selection of facilities that compareclosely to the concept for the High IDesert Visitor Center. A number offactors were considered in selecting •these facilities, including but not lim- |ited to:

• Desert location, preferably in the |Great Basin or intermountain area,

• Historical and/or natural resources •emphasis, •

• Regional and/or topical scopebeyond a single geographic area Msuch as a city or county. ™

• Established facility with a history ofoperation. •

• Willingness to provide operationaland financial information.

A selection of 10 facilities are includedfor investigation, as summarized in mTable III-4. The following provides a |brief review of each facility.

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Table 111-4: Summary of Comparable Facilities

NewberryNational VolcanicMonumentVisitor Center

High DesertMuseum

Lava Beds NM

John DayFossil Beds NM

Crater Lake NP

NortheasternNevada Museum

Craters of theMoon NM

DeschutesCo. None NA 120,000 $186,000 forOregon interpretive

program; othercosts formaintenanceand operations

DeschutesCo. $5.50 adult, NA 189,079 $2.6 millionOregon $2.75 youth

SiskiyouCo. $4/veh. 150,000 112,000 $86,088California (VC only)

Grant Co. None 131,900 33,000 654,000;Oregon $105,000

for interpretiveprogram

KlamathCo. $5/veh. 419,914 294,000 $2.3 million;Oregon $190,000 for

interpretiveprograms

Elko None NA 89,600 NANevada

ButteCo. $4/veh. 238,500 202,700 $647,000;Idaho $11 2,000 for

interpretiveprograms

|; interpretive/Visitorj ^PmjUJwi Staff _

6 FT summer,plus 7 volunteers;3 FT winter

50 FT, 7 PT;8 seasonal,210 volunteers

2 FT, 3 FT seasonal;other assistance byNM staff

4 FT (inc. 2 seasonal)plus bookstore clerk

5 FT annual, 9 FTseasonal;6 volunteers

3 FT, 4 PT, plusvolunteers

4 FT at peak, plusadministrative,maintenance, otherfunctions

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Table 111-4 continued

Great Basin NP

Oregon TrailInterpretiveCenter

Museum atWarm Springs

White Pine Co.Nevada

BakerOregon

Warm SpringsReservation,Oregon

None for NP;$4 adult,$3 youth forcave tour

None

$5 adult,$2.50 youth

91 ,900 44,000(cave and

visitor center)

NA 344,737

NA 100,000

$1.0 million;$260,000for interpretiveprogram

$611,000;add'l$100,000 fromother agencybudgets, $200,000from Trail Tenders

$690,000

3 FT, 2 PT,plus 12-1 4 FTseasonal

11 FT plus seasonaland volunteers(Trail Tenders)

17 FT, plus summeryouth program

Notes:Attendance is for 1993Methodology used to measure attendance varies among facilities.Source: Dean Runyan Associates

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Newberry National VolcanicMonument Visitor Center

The visitor center at the NewberryNational Volcanic Monument has beenin operation for some time as LavaLands, build in 1976 and operated bythe Deschutes National Forest. Thefacility consists of a small visitor infor-mation and interpretative facilitylocated just to the west of Highway 97about ten miles south of Bend, Oregon,and a road leading to the top of LavaButte, a nearby cinder cone on which issituated a fire lookout tower. Duringthe summer months the access to thetop of the butte is by shuttle bus.

The facility has no admission fee andsees about 100,000 people per year.Opening is between Mid-Marchthrough October. This attendance hasbeen fairly steady since the facility wasopened.

Staff for Lava Lands, and the associ-ated budget, are not broken out sepa-rately from other Forest Service pro-grams, but are estimated to be betweenfive and seven staff during the summermonths, plus one or two volunteers.

Staff during the winter is two or threepeople.

The budget figures available cover theinterpretive program for Lava Lands,plus other more limited interpretiveactivities dispersed across the FortRock District, Deschutes NationalForest. The budget breakout appearsin Table III-5.

The Forest service has plans for up-grading or replacing the facility andimproving the Monument's interpre-tive program, but has been waiting foradditional funds to do so.

Table 111-5: Interpretive Budget, Fort RockRanger District, 1994

Staff(inc. benefits)VehiclesSuppliesUtilitiesOtherTotal

$144,000$9,000

$12,000$9,000

$12,000$186,000

77.4%4.8%6.5%4.8%6.5%

100.0%

Source: Deschutes National Forest staff and Dean RunyanAssociates

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Table 111-6: High Desert Museum, OperatingBudget, 1993

Revenue:MembershipsAdmissionsContributions/giftsEduc. program feesMerchandise salesInterest/otherTotal

Expenses:ExhibitsEducationGeneral/administrativeFund raisingCost of merchandiseOther store costsTotal

233712

1,59274

43659

3,107

972306509451199147

2,583

Source: Dean Runyan Associates

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High Desert Museum

The High Desert Museum, locatedapproximately six miles south of Bendin Central Oregon, has operated at itscurrent facility since 1982. The Mu-seum is a private non-profit corpora-tion. The 150 acre site includes a pri-mary building complex of 44,000 sf,plus various outdoor displays. Thereis parking for 247 vehicles and a 600 sfmuseum store. The primary interpre-tive emphasis is on the cultural andnatural history of the arid intermoun-tain west, covering a region fromwestern Canada to the intermountainsouthwest.

The facility has been developed on anincremental basis, with funding forcapital investments from a variety ofsources. The most recent expansioninvolves a 28,000 sf addition, includinga Gallery of Native Peoples, supportedby funds from a capital campaign.New planned facilities include addi-tional animal exhibits, located indoors,and a few forestry exhibit.

Visitation amounted to 189,000 in 1993,147,000 of which was paid. Admissionhas grown substantially, up fromntially,

85,000 total in 1986. Adult admissionfee is $5.50, seniors $5.00 and children(5-12) $2.75. The Museum membershipprogram includes over 5,000 members.

The facility's staff amounts to 50 full-time, plus five part-time and eightseasonal staff. There are also 21 juniorvolunteer staff, two interns and 190volunteers who help with operations.The 1993 operating budget amountedto $2.6 million. A breakout is providedin Table III-6.

National Historic Oregon TrailInterpretive Center

The National Historic Oregon TrailInterpretive Center (Flagstaff Hill), islocated on approximately 500 acres onand adjacent to Flagstaff Hill, fivemiles north of Baker City in EasternOregon. The site overlooks terrainover which the Oregon Trail passes,and includes a portion of the OregonTrail alignment that is accessible byfoot from the interpretive center. Thefacility was built and is operated by theU. S. Bureau of Land Management andincludes a primary building of 21,600sf plus a maintenance and storagebuilding of 6,100 sf. There is parki

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for 121 personal vehicles plus twobusses. Also included is a trail system,interpretive signing, a simulated mine,and program facilities such as a 150-person amphitheater and an encamp-ment site.

The facility opened in mid-1992. At-tendance for 1992 was over 200,000 andnearly reached 350,000 during 1993.There is no admission charge.

Financing and support for the facilityhas come from a number of sources.The initial initiative was from a localgroup, the Oregon Trail Steering Com-mittee (now the Oregon Trail Preserva-tion Trust). At an early point the U.S.Bureau of Land Management assumedmanagement responsibility and, alongwith a grant from the State of Oregon,committed the primary funds to ini-tiate the project. The Oregon TrailPreservation Trust has been granted501(c)(3) tax status and accordinglyused to solicit private and foundationfunds. Donations were also solicitedthrough a display tile sale with de-nominations of one, five and ten thou-sand dollars each. The bulk of con-struction funds were from federalsources through the BLM.

The Trail Tenders, a private non-profitorganization that operates the retailspace at the Center, receives donationsfrom and makes sales to visitors, andthrough these proceeds supports pro-grams, equipment, etc., not covered byfederal funds.

Staffing consists of 13 people, with atotal federal operations budget of$705,000 for fiscal year 1994, whichincludes approximately $100,000 thatappears in budgets for other federalagencies but which covers variousequipment and support costs for theCenter (these additional budgetamounts are not included in the budgetsummary here). Financial contribu-tions of the Trail Tenders add approxi-mately $200,000 annually.

Information about the origin of Centervisitors in available from summaries ofthe guest register in the Center, whichis signed by about a quarter of visitors.According to this information thefacility is almost entirely oriented tovisitors from out of the area. It is alsonotable that Idaho contributes morevisitors than either Washington orCalifornia, even though its populationis much smaller than either.

Table 111-7: Oregon Trail Interpretive Center,Operating Budget, 1993

Staff(including benefits)District overhead(paid to district forvehicles, personnel,other overheadservices)MaintenanceSuppliesStaff travelEquipmentTotal (approximate)

$408,000 66.8%

$40,000 6.5%

$110,000$28,000$11,000$14,000

$611,000

18.0%4.6%1.8%2.3%

100.0%

Source: BLM staff and Dean RunyanAssociates

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Lava Beds National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument islocated adjacent to California Highway139 in northeastern California approxi-mately 40 miles south of the borderwith Oregon. The 46,560 acre siteincludes a number of volcanic features,110 lava caves in particular, plus camp-grounds and a visitor center. The siteis the location of a notable battle be-tween a band of Modoc Indians andthe U.S. Army in 1872. Lights areprovided for visitors who wish toexplore caves on the site.

According to staff estimates attendancefor 1993 amounted to 150,000 people,about three quarters of whom visitedthe visitor center. There is a $4 pervehicle admission fee to the Monu-ment. Staff have seena steady increase in attendance overthe past four years, in particular inorganized groups. About 60% ofattendance is from the regionrepresented by Klamath Falls, Medfordand Northeastern California.

Staffing at the visitor center consists oftwo people plus three seasonal

workers. Operations budget for thevisitor center for 1994 is $86,088, whichconsists primarily of staff (91%). Cer-tain operating costs for the visitorcenter are not included in this amount,such as some maintenance costs for thefacility and grounds.

John Day Fossil Beds NationalMonument

The John Day Fossil Beds NationalMonument consists of three sites total-ing 14,000 acres, located adjacent to ornorth of U.S. Highway 26 in northeast-ern Oregon. The sites vary in terms ofappearance and representative featuresbut emphasize geologic history, fossilrecords and research. The sites arepopular locations for auto touring andsight-seeing.

John Day currently includes a smallvisitor center, located in a historicranch structure, and has plans for amuch larger facility.

Visitation for the Monument in FiscalYear 1993 amounted to 131,500 people,about 37,000 of whom visited thevisitor center. There is no admission

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fee for the Monument, although adonation is requested at the visitorcenter. Visitation to the Monument hasgrown from about 100,000 in 1985.

Staff for the visitor center is two per-manent employees, plus two seasonalemployees for interpretation and oneor two others for sales. The annualbudget for interpretive activities,which consist largely of visitor centeroperations, amounts to $105,000 peryear, a large portion of which is forstaff. The total annual operating bud-get for the Monument is $654,000.

Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park is includedhere primarily to represent a very welldeveloped and staffed facility that, as anational park, attracts visitors fromthroughout the U.S. and elsewhere.The park's interpretive programs arefocused on the lake and the surround-ing areas, in particular the crater rim.

During 1993 the park saw 420,000visitors, of who about 70% visited thevisitor center and/or made use of aninterpretive program (many of which

operate out of the visitor center). Thereis a $5 per vehicle fee for admission tothe park. Although no current visitororigin data are available staff estimatethat about 20% of visitors are foreign.

The interpretive program, includingthe visitor center, is staffed by fiveyear-around staff plus nine seasonalstaff, augmented by 6 volunteers. Totalstaff for the park is between 45 and 50year-around, plus another 20 seasonal.This does not include the campground,which is operated by a concessionaire.Budget for the interpretive program for1994 amounts to $189,500, much ofwhich is for staff.

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Northeastern Nevada Museum

The Northeastern Nevada Museum islocated in Elko, in the Great Basinapproximately 80 miles south of theNevada-Idaho border. Interstate High-way 80, connecting to Reno and SanFrancisco, passes through Elko. This isa general historical facility focusing onthe Northeastern portion of Nevadathat includes Indian, natural historyand art collections, plus a historic PonyExpress station. There is also a multi-media program in a theater. The facil-ity is operated by the NortheasternNevada Historical Society, a privatenon-profit corporation.

Staff consists of three full-time plusfour part-time people, plus volunteers.

Attendance in 1993 was nearly 90,000people; there is no admission fee.

Craters of the Moon NationalMonument

Craters of the Moon National Monu-ment is located adjacent to U.S. High-ways 20, 26 and 93 in southcentralIdaho. The 54,000 acre site is located in

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an area described as "the strangest 75square miles on the North AmericanContinent" and features volcanic andother geologic features. Facilitiesinclude a visitor center, roads and trailsto a number of individual features andsites, and a campground.

Annual attendance to the Monument isabout 240,000, 85% of which also visitsthe visitor center. Admission to thevisitor center is free; there is a $4 pervehicle charge for driving on otherMonument roads. Visitation has beenvariable since 1980, generally rangingbetween 180,000 and 290,000 visitorsper year. Peak month is July.

A visitor survey was conducted in 1988that provides several useful findings:

• Nearly 80% were first-time visitors.• Most visitors were from Idaho

(68%) and the surrounding states;18% were foreign.

• Over half of visitors made use ofmaps (e.g., highway maps) to learnabout and locate the Monument.

• A substantial portion of visitorswere retirees and empty-nesters;families with children were alsocommon.

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The 1994 budget for interpretive pro-grams amounts to $112,000; the budgetfor the entire monument is $647,000.Staffing for the visitor center is notbroken out specifically, but amounts tothree or four people during the sum-mer, plus volunteers who operate thegift/book shop and staff the front desk.For the most part the exhibits requireno staff operation.

Great Basin National Park

The Great Basin National Park is lo-cated in eastern Nevada about 10 milesfrom the border with Utah. The facilitywas designated as a National Park in1986, operating prior to that time asLehman Caves National Monument.The caves still represent a substantialemphasis for the park, although itssignificance and programs are in-tended to focus on the Great Basinoverall. Other significant featuresinclude Wheeler Peak (13,063 feet) andthe Snake Range, bristlecone pineforests, and various streams, lakes andvolcanic features. The park includesfour campgrounds and a store/restau-rant.

Visitation to the park has increasedsteadily, rising from about 39,000 in1984 to 94,000 in 1993. July is the peakmonth. There is no admission fee,although there is a $3 per adult chargefor the cave tour.

The 1993 budget for interpretive pro-grams is $157,000; total budget for thepark is $1.22 million.

Museum at Warm Springs

The Museum at Warm Springs openedin 1993 and is included here to repre-sent a Native American facility locatedin Oregon. The Museum is located onthe lands of the Confederated Tribes ofthe Warm Springs adjacent to Highway26 about 100 miles east of Portland.The facility has extensive collections ofNative American historical and cul-tural material and new exhibits. Thislocation provides good visibility alonga highway segment that is regularlytraveled by people from Portland whovisit Central Oregon.

Attendance trends are not establishedfor the facility yet, but staff reportapproximately 100,000 visitors for 1993

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and expect an average of between80,000 and 90,000 per year for subse-quent years. There is a $5 adult admis-sion fee, and $2.50 for children.

Staff consists of 17 full-time people,plus seasonal workers during thesummer, many of whom are youthwho help with maintenance activities.Total annual operating budget is$690,000.

Local Area Attractions

Attendance and other characteristics ofexisting attractions and recreation areasin Harney County provide usefulinformation for projecting demand forthe proposed facility. Table III-8 sum-marizes information for six attractionsand recreation areas in the county.

These consist of the Steens Mountainarea and the Malheur National WildlifeRefuge to the south of Burns/Hines,the portions of the Ochoco andMalheur National Forests that lie inHarney County, plus the HarneyCounty Historical Museum and thevisitor information facility operated bythe Harney County Chamber of Com-merce, both located m the same struc-ture in Burns.

This information indicates that visita-tion currently is focused on the naturalresource areas represented by theNational Forests, the Refuge and theSteens, with relatively little passingthrough the Museum or the visitorinformation center. There is also asubstantial visitor flow through Burns/Hines that patronizes local businesses— such as lodging, restaurants, servicestations and stores — that does notappear in these figures but is signifi-cant nonetheless.

These patterns, combined with theestimate from above of about 700,000visitors passing through Burns/Hineseach year, indicates that:

• there is substantial potential for agood quality visitor attraction in ornear Burns/Hines; at present visi-tors mainly uses the community forcommercial services, and

• the primary attraction to the area isits natural resources

These factors underlie the attendanceprojections that appear in the followingsection.

ecUntr

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Table 111-8: Harney County Visitor Attractions

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Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Steens Mountain

Ochoco, Malheur National Forests(Harney Co. portions)

Chickahominy Reservoir

Harney County Museum

Harney County VisitorInformation Center

<Ft::./.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Year-around 40,000 - 50,000 None

U.S. Bureau of Land June through September 50,000 NoneManagement

U.S. Forest Service Year-around 100,000 None(estimated; dispersed use)

U.S. Bureau of Land Year-around 28,000 (estimated) NoneManagement (recreation);Oregon Department ofFish and Wildlife (fishery)

Harney County Historical May through October 2,153 $1.50 adult,Society $0.50 youth

Harney County Year around 3,500 (appx.) NoneChamber of Commerce

• Source: Dean Runyan Associates

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II11II* IV. ATTENDANCE ANDI FINANCIAL FORECASTS

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Attendance and Financial Forecasts

For purposes of preparing atten-dance and financial projectionsthe facility is envisioned to have

two primary components:

• A visitor information componentsituated at the entrance to thefacility which provides a widevariety of map, brochure and otherprinted material, staff assistanceand other information pertaining toactivities and attractions in HarneyCounty and the High Desert; videoor multi-media exhibits could beavailable.

• An interpretive component thatincludes the bulk of the facility'sexhibits and which requires anadmission fee; it is anticipated thatless than half of all facility visitorswould make use of this portion ofthe facility.

In addition the facility could includeoutdoor informational and interpretiveexhibits such as signing that providesinformation when the facility is closed,interpretive/hiking trails, and perhapsrestrooms and picnic areas.

The pertinent factors for estimatingattendance include:

• Approximately 700,000 visitors passthrough Burns/Hines each year; asubstantial portion of these visitorsare not destined to the area, al-though many probably stop topurchase food and fuel due to thedistance to alternative service areas.

• Malheur NWR and Steens Moun-tain see about 50,000 visitors a yeareach; according to staff there is 10%to 20% overlap between these twogroups of visitors.

• Traffic and visitation to the areahave been increasing steadily overthe past decade.

• Facilities that compare to what isenvisioned for Burns/Hines andwhich are located off of major travelcorridors generally see between70,000 and 150,000 people per year,assuming no admission fee.

• There is substantial and growinginterest throughout North Americain natural resources, wildlife, nativecultures and unique environments.

• The population of the Northwest isgrowing steadily and overall traveland recreation demand can beexpected to increase accordingly.

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Given these factors, in particular thecurrent and growing visitor flowthrough Burns/Hines and the experi-ence of comparable facilities, 100,000visitors per year are projected for theproposed facility. This amount is wellover that for John Day Fossil Beds,somewhat over current demand forGreat Basin National Park and abouthalf that for the High Desert Museum.Of this amount 40% are assumed topay admission and visit the interpre-tive portion of the facility, representing40,000 visitors per year. This amount isapproximately one fifth the paid ad-mission for the High Desert Museumand is proportional to the relativetraffic levels for the two locations.

As discussed in more detail below werecommend that the facility be sitedand sized with these visitation levels asa guideline, but a) anticipate visitationsomewhat below these values early inthe operating history and b) perhapsmore as the facility, and its markets,develop over time.

The annual attendance forecast is usedto estimate daily attendance estimates,as appear in Table FV-1. A number of

assumptions are used for generatingthese daily estimates, as explained inthe table footnotes, the most significantof which are:

• 18% of annual attendance occurringduring the peak month of July(which approximates patterns atother attractions in the area)

• 40% of weekly attendance occurringduring the two weekend days

• average length of stay of 30 min-utes, representing an average ofthose visitors who are using just theinformation facilities and have arelatively brief length of stay, andthe remainder who visit the inter-pretive component and stay sub-stantially longer

These projections show an averagepeak day of 813 visitors, which wouldoccur on a weekend day in July. Thepeak on-site crowd would be 66people; this would be associated with22 vehicles, assuming three people pervehicle, including organized visitorgroups.

The design day represents the largestpeak day one would expect — say the

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one or two largest days during the year— and is taken as 120% of the averagepeak day. The design day on-sitecrowd is 79 people, associated with 26vehicles.

Table IV-1 also shows the number ofpeople inside a visitor facility buildingassuming that 20% and 40% of visitorsare occupied with outdoor or otherexhibits or activities. These lower peakday figures illustrate how a trade-offcan occur, building a smaller buildingbut increasing the emphasis on out-door signing, trails, etc. In this mannera building can be sized to best accom-modate winter and shoulder seasonvisitors, with additional summerdemand taken up in part with outsideexhibits which are closed or not usedduring other times of the year.

These estimates are somewhat sensitiveto certain assumptions and should betaken as working estimates for pur-poses of this feasibility study. Theyshould be revisited and perhaps re-fined as part of a master planningprocess. A longer length of stay, forexample, increases the on-site drawand number of parked vehicles.

Table IV-1: Monthly and Daily Visitor Projection

Annual Visitor ProjectionPeak Monthly Visitation (July, 18%)Average Peak Week DayAverage Peak Weekend Day

Peak Day VisitationInterpretive Center Peak: Crowd100% In Interpretive Center Building(s)80% In Interpretive Center Building(s)60% In Interpretive Center Building(s)

Design Day VisitationInterpretive Center Peak: Crowd100% In Interpretive Center Building(s)80% In Interpretive Center Building(s)60% In Interpretive Center Building(s)

100,00018,000

488813

813

665340

975

796348

Notes:1) Proportion annual visitation in peak month 18%2) Proportion weekly visitation on weekend days 40%3) Proportion daily attendance during peak period 65%4) Length of peak period (11 am - 3 pm) 45) Average length of stay ( hours) 0.506) Design day factor 1.27) Visitors per vehicle 3.00

Source: Dean Runyan Associates

6,000163271

271

22NANA

325

26NANA

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Table IV-2: Preliminary Development Cost

ArchitectureIndoor ExhibitsOutdoor ExhibitsParking/RoadsSubtotal

Design FeesSite PreparationStartup and ContingencyMarketing

Total

8,000 sf $150/sf5,000 sf $300/sf

15%10%10%

$1,200$1,500

$100$200

$3,000

$450$300$300$200

$4,250

Source: SMH Architecture

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Preliminary Capital Budget

The scope of the facility, its buildings inparticular, relate to the nature of theinterpretive program, the size of theanticipated audience, and the financialresources available for constructionand operation. The scope and com-plexity of the theme structure that hasbeen developed to date suggest amoderate to large exhibit area with thecapacity to represent the number anddiversity of the themes involved. Theanticipated number of visitors on thesite at one time is not large, however,suggesting that a more modest exhibitarea may be adequate. A moderately-sized exhibit area is can also be lessexpensive to build and operate thanone that is larger.

For purposes of this cost projection amoderately-sized facility of 8,000 sf isassumed, of which 5,000 sf is exhibitarea. The latter figure includes a 1,000sf theater for 60 people.

Development cost for the proposedfacility includes building and exhibitconstruction, fees for engineering,design and site preparation, and costs

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Table IV-3: Preliminary Operating BudgetAnnual Budget (1994) dollars)

Revenue:Admission FeesVisitor DonationsRetail SalesMembershipsClass FeesPrivate Grants/DonationsAgency ContributionTotal

Expenses:StaffFringe @ 30%Cost of Sales (60%)Maintenance/OperationsAdministrationContingency/OtherTotal

Net revenue

fiS;g?mKUTOiiiilMjiiiM»(Btimn^wfl

8J j S-«>-aSJfiS^ | B^Sf ^

90,0005,000

75,00016,00012,00010,00029,000

237,000

120,00036,00045,00020,0006,000

10,000237,000

0

^^^^^ | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^g^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

W^MmlSmilmmS^^^^^^i^^m^^^^^^^^m^S^^^^smm^^^^^

Attendance and Staff Factors:38%2%

32%7%5%4%

12%100%

51%15%19%8%3%4%

100%

Annual Attendance 100,000Classes (person-days/yr)MembershipStaff

200400

(FTE, incl. agency contribution) 5

General Revenue factors:Adult AdmissionYouth AdmissionProportion Adult Adm.Proportion Child Adm.Overall Proportion Paid Adm.Sales/Visitor ($)Donations/Visitor ($)Membership ($/yr)Class Fee ($/day)

$3.00$1.5050%50%40%

$0.75$0.05

$40$60

Source: Dean Runyan Associates

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Iof facility startup and marketing dur-ing the pre-opening phase. Estimatesof these costs appear in Table IV-2; costfactors are used which represent goodquality design, materials, constructiontechniques and finish. The totalamounts to $4.25 million for the 8,000sf facility.

Preliminary OperatingBudgetThe preliminary operating budget thatappears in Table IV-3 is based on full-scale operation of the proposed facility,100,000 visitors per year of which40,000 pay admission to the interpre-tive exhibits. Admission fee is set at$3.00 for an adult. In addition 200 classadmissions are assumed (say ten one-day classes of 20 people each), andmembership of 400 people.

The overall operating budget for thefacility is $237,000 per year, whichincludes retail sales to visitors. Exclud-ing retail sales income the budget is$162,000 per year. Somewhat over athird of revenue is from admission fees,with retail sales providing an addi-tional third.

Revenue projections are based on theattendance projections from above anda number of factors as described in thefootnotes to Table IV-3. These factorsinclude an adult admission of $3.00 perperson, paid by 40% of those visitingthe facility, retail sales of $0.75 pervisitor (which is similar to other com-parable facilities), and a membershipprogram costing $40 per member peryear. The revenue projection alsoincludes an "agency contribution"category that represents governmentagency, chamber of commerce or othercontributions to the facility, either incash or in terms of ongoing staff as-signments. This amount is selected inorder to balance projected revenuesand costs and could be either larger orsmaller depending on the staff orfinancial support available in thismanner.

Staff is a large cost factor, amounting to66% including wages and fringe. Thisamount assumes an annual average offive full-time-equivalent (FTE) staff, asshown in Table IV-4. This amountcould actually be scheduled as six orseven staff during the summer monthsand two of three during the winter.

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The staff budget could be reduced tothe extent that staffing needs are cov-ered with part-time and/or seasonalstaff, winter staffing is minimized,volunteers and "loaned" agency staffare used to the greatest extent possible,and other similar measures. Staffingrequirements are also a function of theinformational program the facility willoffer, the extent to which interpretivefunctions require staffing and theextent and nature of organized groupeducational functions. Staff costs couldalso be reduced if fringe costs werelower than projected here.

During the initial operating phases ofthe facility it may be possible to reducethe on-budget staffing because it eitheris not necessary or by making use ofstaff on assignment from other agen-cies or organizations, or by usingvolunteers, interns, etc.

Table IV-4: Preliminary Staff Budget

DirectorSecretary/Receptionist/SalesInterpretationOperations/Maintenance Staff

Total

35,00018,00024,00020,000

1.01.52.00.5

5.0

35,00027,00048,00010,000

120,000

Note: Reduced staffing is possible during early stages of development; seasonalvariations would also occurSource: Dean Runyan Associates

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1iIIII1eiiiiii

V. ECONOMIC IMPACTS

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Economic Impacts

Business Profile

Harney County includes anumber of businesses thatprovide goods and services

for travelers and accordingly is in aposition to serve existing and currenttravelers in the area. The number ofbusinesses is not large, however, as isevident from Table V-l, nor are thebusinesses themselves large. Moreovernearly all of these businesses are lo-cated in Burns/Hines, limiting thediversity of visitor services across thecounty. Accordingly the diversity ofofferings to Harney County visitors islimited and is fairly typical of smallercommunities in outlying areas thatprovide services to highway travelers.

Market Depth and BusinessDevelopment PotentialMarket and expenditure characteristicswithin Harney County affect the extentto which businesses in the County arein a position to benefit from increaseddemand generated by the proposedfacility. This section discusses theextent to which purchases by residentscurrently "leak" out of the county when

they buy goods or services that are notavailable locally. This leakage can bemitigated to some degree by the expen-ditures of visitors and in the long runcan be reduced if visitor-generatedsales act to foster business expansionand economic diversification.

The size of the leakage can be esti-mated through the use of data avail-able in the Survey of Buying Power inthe journal Sales and Marketing Man-agement. These data are shown inTable V-2 for the year 1993, the mostrecent currently available. The firsttwo columns show the total retail salesfor the state of Oregon and for HarneyCounty, while the next two columnsshow the total retail sales on a percapita (i.e. per resident) basis. The fifthcolumn is the net amount from thesales per capita for Oregon less thesales per capita for Harney County.These figures represent the averageamount, on a per capita basis, thatwould have been spent in HarneyCounty if its retail expenditure wereidentical to the pattern for Oregonoverall. For example, the third line ofthe table indicates that if HarneyCounty's sales for general merchandise

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1Table V-1: Business in Harney County

Commercial lodging, campingFood, beveragesGroceryRetail

Motels, RV ParksRestaurants, loungesGrocery storesGeneral retail, auto,entertainment, sporting goods

Source: Dean Runyan Associates

Table V-2: Sales Leakage in Harney County, 1993

1923537

FoodEat/DrinkGeneral MdseFurn, ApplAutomotiveDrugOtherTotal

4,529,1182,533,4234,017,5341,326,3475,369,445

685,3456,774,112

25,235,324

14,7683,8682,143

7639,642

58120,12251,887

1,520850

1,349445

1,802230

2,2748,471

2,080545302107

1,35882

2,8347,308

(560)306

1,047338444148

(560)1,163

(3,973)2,1707,4332,3983,1561,052

(3,976)8,260

(2,456)1,3424,5951,4831,951

651(2,458)

5,107

Source: Dean Runyan Associates and Sales and Marketing Management

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were the same as Oregon, $1,047 moreper person would have been spent forgeneral merchandise in HarneyCounty. Many of the goods in thiscategory are being purchased outsideHarney County in larger communitiessuch as Ontario, Bend or Portland. Thesum of this leakage per person inHarney County for 1993 was $1,163.

The leakage across Harney Countytotals $8.2 million for 1993; Burns andHines are responsible for $5.1 millionof this amount, assuming that thetendency to make purchases outsidethe county is the same for residents ofBurns and Hines as for residents of theremainder of the County. The leakageamounts in the last two columns indi-cate that the bulk of leakage is occur-ring in the automotive, general mer-chandise and furniture and appliancecategories. Most of this probablyconsists of large items that are rela-tively cheaper in larger communitieswith discount establishments. Thenegative amount for food indicates thatHarney County is actually attractingexpenditures in this category, perhapsbecause food stores in Burns/Hines

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supply ranches and other people inoutlying areas, including locations inneighboring counties.

These findings indicate that, overall,there are opportunities to captureresident as will as visitor expendituresin a number of categories, particularlyin food and retail categories whereincreased visitor demand can helpsupport more offerings that appeal toboth visitors and residents.

Economic ImpactProjectionsEconomic impacts are an importantconsideration for the proposed facilitygiven the objectives of Harney Countyto enhance visitation and its economicbenefits for the county and its resi-dents. Certain impacts occur duringconstruction, consisting primarily ofthe expenditures for labor and materi-als associated with designing andbuilding the facility. Other impacts areassociated with ongoing operation ofthe facility and are the most importantto consider.

Construction Impacts

Assuming that 40% of the facilityconstruction cost is for local area labor,and that construction payroll peremployee averages $26,000 per year, atotal of 33 jobs will be created over a 2-year period for site preparation, con-struction and pre-opening work. Theaverage construction employee wage isestimated from employment andpayroll data for Harney County.

Overall the actual amount of construc-tion-related expenditures that becomesan economic benefit for HarneyCounty depends substantially onwhich firm and/or team is selected toconstruct the facility. A locally-basedconstruction firm, if selected, will tendto retain a higher proportion of itslabor, materials and other purchases inthe County.

Ongoing Impacts

Ongoing economic benefits relate tothe year-to-year operation of the facil-ity and are the most important toconsider. These impacts consist of

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Table V-3: On-Site Impacts

Employment

Payroll

Goods and services

One position considered a shift from an existing 4 jobsagency in the CountyPayroll, not counting fringe expenses, excluding one $96,000/yrinterpretive employeeEstimated from the preliminary operating budget, $35,500/yrconsisting of one-half of maintenance, administrativesupplies and cost of sales items ($71,000 total)

Source: Dean Runyan Associates

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expenditures by visitors, most of whichoccur in Harney County businesses,the payroll and employment theseexpenditures generate, plus the associ-ated tax receipts for local government.

A portion of these impacts is associatedwith the operation of the facility itselfand stem from the employment itprovides and the local area purchasesfrom its budget for supplies and ser-vices. These impacts are estimatedfrom the preliminary operating budgetand are described below.

The remaining ongoing benefits stemfrom the off-site purchases of visitorsfor lodging, food, recreation, fuel, andother items. These are the largest andmost significant impacts in that theyrepresent the return on the investmentin the facility and its operation.

On-Site Economic Impacts

The operation of the facility will pro-vide employment for its staff, and willgenerate demand in the local area forsupplies and services. Services pur-chases will depend to some degree onoperating policies for the facility but

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can include janitorial services, book-keeping, security, outside maintenance,educational program management, andother services. To some degree thestaffing for the facility will represent ashift of existing staff from one locationin the County to another — such aswhen a federal agency staff person isassigned to perform an informationalor interpretive function at the facility— and as such should not be consid-ered a new staff position in the County.On-site economic impacts are summa-rized in Table V-3.

To the extent that Burns/Hines canprovide the goods and services neededby the facility for its operations, includ-ing the items sold to visitors in thefacility's gift shop, the economic ben-efits for the County will increase.

Off-Site Economic Impacts

Off-site economic impacts refer to theeconomic benefits generated by thosevisitors who visit the facility and ac-cordingly spend additional amounts inthe County for lodging, food, transpor-tation, recreation and other goods andservices. These benefits are greatest if

visitors can be enticed to extend theirlength of stay in the County, increasingthe proportion of their daily expendi-tures as travelers that is captured bybusinesses in the County. Increasingthe number of visitors who stay over-night produces the largest increase ineconomic benefits. Generally thegreatest increase will occur whenCounty visitors decide to add activitiesand/or travel destinations to theiritinerary, but some increase will occursimply through a visit to the facility,which will increase their length of stayin the Burns/Hines area and accord-ingly their tendency to purchase food,fuel, retail and other items.

Additional impacts will occur to theextent that the facility generates addi-tional destination travel to HarneyCounty at a later time for some visitors,such as when they learn about attrac-tions and activities in the Countyaround which they can plan trips at alater time.

Preparing a definitive forecast of off-site economic impacts associated withthe proposed facility is difficult due todata limitations. There are no

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established visitor facilities in theCounty of the nature and scale of theone proposed, and no other fullycomparable facilities in the Northwestor the Great Basin. Moreover there areno survey data for Harney County orOregon visitors that provide muchassistance with regard to economicimpacts.

The most comparable facility andsituation is that of the National His-toric Oregon Trail Interpretive Centerin Baker County, generally referred toas Flagstaff Hill (its location.) FlagstaffHill is a larger facility than that pro-posed for Harney County— about27,000 sf in total — which opened in1992 and had its first full year of opera-tions in 1993. Fortunately a study wasdone of the economic impacts in BakerCity and County that can be attributedto this facility and which providesuseful information for estimatingeconomic impacts in Harney County.This study was conducted by E. E.Hovee and Company and included thefollowing findings:

• Visitor expenditures increased 8%countywide over expected trends,

based on visitor expenditure char-acteristics in Baker County over thepast several years; this increase isattributed to the effects of the newfacility

• Room sales increased 20% overexpected trends, based on analysisof room tax receipts (rooms aresituated primarily in Baker City)

• Attendance at visitor attractionsthroughout Baker County increasedbetween 16% and 47% above ex-pected trends; increase for certainhistoric and other facilities in BakerCity were substantially above thisamount in some cases

The increase in room sales is particu-larly significant in that it shows visitorsare being converted from day to over-night visitors, increasing the businessopportunities for lodging operators inparticular and a variety of other travel-and recreation-related businesses ingeneral.

The proposed facility in HarneyCounty can be expected to producesimilar effects, although their magni-tude is difficult to establish at thispoint in time. Several factors are

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important to consider when interpret-ing the experience of Baker County inthe Harney County context:

• Flagstaff hill is a bigger facility,with greater visibility and fairlybroad appeal

• Baker City and the facility arelocated near Interstate Highway 84,a major traffic corridor

• Harney County has a substantiallysmaller population and economicbase than does Baker County,meaning that more limited visita-tion and economic effects can stillhave a substantial proportionaleffect

• Marketing for a Harney Countyfacility may be less than was avail-able for Flagstaff Hill, which re-ceived extensive marketing support

For purposes of estimating economicimpacts for Harney County a range ofimpact proportions are used which isselected to cover the anticipated scopeof change that the proposed facilitywill cause. These amounts are thenrelated to the visitor-related economicimpact measurements available forHarney County to generate facility-related economic impact estimates. In

all cases it is assumed that the facility isbuilt and operated as envisioned — agood quality, moderately sized facilitythat strives to enhance visitationthroughout the County.

The range of impact varies from a 5%to a 20% increase in visitor-relatedeconomic impacts. A 5% increase islower than the smallest impact in thefindings for Baker County and repre-sents the situation where the facility issituated, designed and/or operatedsuch that it has only a marginal effecton demand for other attractions andactivities in the County, or perhapswhere underlying factors change in anadverse manner, such as a substantialincrease in gasoline prices. A10%increase is generally consistent withthe overall economic impact of theFlagstaff Hill facility. In that caseoverall economic impacts increased8%, which can be expected to increaseto some degree as local area businessesexpand and otherwise adapt to newopportunities. The potential for such alonger-term increase is illustrated bythe 20% increase in room sales. A10%increase in visitor impacts county-wideis used here as the most likely levelthat will be achieved for the facility.

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Table V-4: Off-Site Economic Impacts of Proposed Facilityby Level of Impact, 1994 Dollars

Visitor ExpendituresPayrollRoom tax receiptsEmployment

$10,800,000$1,740,000

$72,000197 jobs

$540,000$87,000$3,600

10

$1,080,000$174,000

$7,20020

$2,160,000$348,000$14,400

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Source: Dean Runyan Associates

Finally, a 20% increase represents asubstantial impact generated by a verywell designed and operated facilitythat works in a cooperative mannerwith all attractions and activities in theCounty to attract and hold visitors inthe area. Achieving impacts of thismagnitude may also require a certainamount of good fortune, such as unan-ticipated and positive reviews fromOregon's press, a significant increase inpublic interest in Great Basin, desertand related topics, or other good for-tune from a public awareness andacceptance perspective.

Impacts attributable to the proposedfacility appear in Table V-4, shown in1994 dollars. The base impact amountfor 1994 — $10.8 million in visitorexpenditures county-wide — is aprojection from the period 1989through 1992, the most recent years forwhich consistent visitor impact mea-surements are available. For the mostlikely impact estimate, representing a10% increase, the proposed facilitywould generate an additional $1.08million in visitor expenditures inHarney County. These expenditureswould generate an additional $174,000

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in payroll and support employment foran additional 20 people. These impactsinclude only direct effects; indirect("multiplier") effects are not includedbecause multiplier data for HarneyCounty are not available.

The impact potential for the facility,represented by the 20% gain, is fornearly $2.2 million in visitor expendi-tures and employment for 39 people.

Economic Impact Summary

The combined impacts, shown in TableV-5, total over $1.1 million in visitorexpenditures and employment for 24people. The bulk of the visitor expen-diture and employment impacts occuroff-site, as is typical for facilities of thistype. Payroll, on the other hand, isproportionally more associated withthe facility itself, representing thequality of jobs that it can offer to itsstaff, particularly if they are agencyemployees.

Table V-5: Combined On- and Off-Site ImpactEstimates, Using Intermediate Off-Site ImpactAmounts, 1994 Dollars

On-Site:ExpendituresPayrollEmployment

Off-Site:ExpendituresPayrollEmployment

All Impacts:ExpendituresPayrollEmployment

$35,500$96,000

4 jobs

$1,080,000$174,000

20 jobs

$1,115,500$270,000

24 jobs

Note: Off-site impact amount represents intermediateimpact gainSource: Dean Runyan Associates

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VI. RECOMMENDATIONS

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Recommendations

The intent of the Great Basinregional interpretive program isto introduce visitors to the

natural features of the region and toeducate the public in order to encour-age more appreciation and explorationof the region. The interpretive pro-gram will be best served by a centralinterpretive hub in the Burns/Hinesarea with satellite interpretive sitesthroughout the region. Further studyof the Rimrock, Grain Elevator, SouthButte and Sage Hen Hill sites will leadto the selection of the site with thehighest potential.

With regard to the interpretive pro-gram, the Center should have a strongconnection with the region which itinterprets. This can be accomplished infour ways:

• Views of the distant SteensMountain above the MalheurNational Wildlife Refuge wouldoffer a visual connection betweenthe facility and the region.

• The site developments should bedesigned to integrate into thenatural context; these include thearrival sequence, outdoor exhibits,and other outdoor spaces.

• There should be a strongrelationship between indoor andoutdoor spaces of the facility.

• The design of the building should besensitive to the natural and builtcontext in scale, form, and use ofnatural local materials; energyconservation is also important.

Other objectives with respect to inter-pretation include:

• Accuracy in interpretation,• Environment conducive to learning,• Engaging exhibits,• Hierarchy of interpretation in

exhibits,• Accessible facilities and exhibits,• Ease of operation and maintenance.

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Specific Recommendations

The following are several specificrecommendations regarding the con-cept, siting, design and operation of theCenter.

• Prepare a facility master plan.

A master plan, prepared prior to de-signing and building the facility, allowsfor refinement of the mission, interpre-tive program, site selection, scope andother matters that will strongly affectthe facility that is actually built andoperated. This master plan could beprepared as the first step of a designcontract. These considerations shouldbe part of an explicit process, dealtwith in a careful and thorough manner,as described in the following section.

• Strive to build and operate as goodquality a facility as possible,

A high quality facility will serve best toattract visitation, both impulse visita-tion on the part of highway travelersand destination visitation by first-timeor repeat visitors to the area. Burns/Hines is in the best position of any

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community in the Northern GreatBasin to inform about and interpretthis region, and should take as muchadvantage of this situation as possible.

• Site the facility carefully, withlong-run objectives in mind.

As with any business, location is veryimportant for long-run success. Careshould be taken to acquire the best sitepossible for the facility, even thoughother sites may be available soonerand/or at a lower cost. Overall, sitecost typically is only a small portion ofthe total facility capital budget.

• Select a name representing theGreat Basin.

Over time the facility should earn itsown clear, unique identify, taking itsplace among other important historical,cultural and visitor facilities in Oregonand the Northwest. A name should beselected that enhances this process ofinstitution-building, and also embodiesthe significance of the region withwhich the facility will be associated.We recommend a name such as theGreat Basin Museum or the Museum ofthe Great Basin.

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A choice of one of these names hassome significant implications. First, thefacility will be envisioned as a mu-seum, destined to build a much largerand more significant collection thanthat typically associated with an inter-pretive center. Second, the mission ofthe facility would span the Great Basincountry, a much larger area than theHarney Basin. While adopting a namethat attaches the facility firmly to theNorthern Great Basin has the advan-tages of visibility and "marketability,"fulfilling the implied commitmentassociated with this identity will re-quire substantial and ongoing effort.

• Develop and operate the facility asa basis for cooperative programsand marketing.

The facility will operate best to encour-age visitation throughout HarneyCounty if all significant entities in theCounty participate in its design andoperation. The facility should be anasset that is useful to all facility andresource managers, businesses andcommunities. It would provide a focusand vehicle for their education, inter-pretation, cultural and visitor activity,

and other programs. Examples ofways by which the facility can servethese functions include changingdisplays of exhibits focusing on spe-cific areas of the County, cooperativeeducational programs (for visitors,school children, staff), special eventspertaining to history or culture, theRefuge or other aspects of the County,and marketing for the facility and otherattractions and resource managers inthe County.

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Master Plan Phase

The next step in the planning process iscompletion of a facility master plan.The recommended content of themaster plan includes the following:

• Analyze and define the operationalconcept.

• Refine the interpretive theme struc-ture, visitor flow, exhibit spaceallocation and exhibit concepts.

• Complete research for interpretiveexhibit content for subject areas innatural history, ethnohistory andhistory of the Great Basin.

• Perform final site analysis andselection.

• Perform traffic and parking analy-sis.

• Develop site and building organiza-tional concepts for the selected site.

• Provide an implementation planthat includes construction costs andbudgets, and an overall projectdevelopment timeline.

• Develop a facility space needsprogram that includes requiredfunctions, space allocation andtechnical design criteria.

• Identify fund raising strategies forsubsequent project phases.

• Design and publish a final masterplan document that provides therequired scope and content for thenext project phases and whichsupports marketing for the project.

The elements above could be packagedas one, two or perhaps several indi-vidual projects, depending on fundingavailable and the desired completionschedule.

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APPENDIX

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Appendix

Descriptions Of Sites Not Silvies River Sites (N & S)

Recommended For Further xr . . . . . . „. , . . . . . . . , , . ,Visibility: High visibility from high-way - Seneca Dr.Views: Distant views would be diffi-cult because the sites are low. Theimmediate views are of farmland,screened by trees on the banks of theriver. There is a trailer park south ofthe road which would need to be dealtwith.Interpretive Potential: The sites arenorth and south of the highway, next toSilvies River. It is a slow meanderingriver with dense riparian vegetation onits banks. The land is flat, at andaround the sites. On-site interpretivepaths would be possible, but it wouldbe difficult to deal with characteristicGreat Basin topics.Access: The site is located just outsideof Burns (northeast). Auto accesswould be good; bike and pedestrianaccess is possible but would be bestsupported by a separate path comingout of town.Ownership: The land is privatelyowned.

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Highway Site

Visibility: High visibility from high-way - Hines Blvd.Views: Distant views would be verydifficult because the site is low, andsurrounded by misc. buildings.Interpretive Potential: The land is flat,at and around the site. On-site inter-pretive paths would be very difficult,probably impossible.Access / Context: The site is locatedbetween Hines and Burns. The patternof development is a auto-based strip-mall type. Auto access would be easy;bike access is possible if a bike lane or aseparate path was made; pedestrianaccess is possible but the scale andcharacter of the surrounding develop-ment is not "pedestrian friendly".Ownership: The land is currentlyowned by one of the agencies involved.

Central Hines Site

Visibility: Good visibility from high-way - Hines Blvd.Views: Distant views might be diffi-cult because the site is low, and sur-rounded by misc. buildings, but themulti-story building would improvethe opportunity for views.Interpretive Potential: The land is flat,at and around the site. On-site inter-pretive paths would be difficult.Access / Context: The site is located inHines. Auto access would be easy;bike and pedestrian access is possible.Although the site is in the center oftown, all commercial development iscurrently oriented toward auto access.Pedestrian oriented developmentwould be appropriate in this location,and could be encouraged by the inter-pretive center.Existing Building: There is a structureon the site which might be usable as astructural frame, more investigationwould be required to determine thefeasibility of reuse.

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Forest Service Site

Visibility: High visibility from high-way - Hines Blvd.Views: Distant views would be verydifficult because the site is low, andsurrounded by a maintenance shopand yard.Interpretive Potential: The land is flat,at and around the site. On-site inter-pretive paths would be difficult, per-haps impossible.Access: The site is located in Hines.The pattern of development is cur-rently oriented toward auto access.Bike access is possible if a bike lane ora separate path through town (toBurns) was made; pedestrian access ispossible but the scale and character ofthe surrounding development is notoriented toward pedestrians.Ownership: The land is owned by theForest Service, and the site of theircurrent Ranger Station. They are in theprocess of building new facilities onand/or directly behind the old site.The interpretive center could be inte-grated in some way with the newbuilding(s). There are potential fund-ing, and staffing advantages to thistype of integrated facility.

LT&L Yard Site

Visibility: High visibility from high-way - Hines Blvd.Views: The site is across the highwayfrom the lumber mill. All distant viewswould be blocked or screened by themill.Interpretive Potential: The land is flat,at and around the site. On-site inter-pretive paths would not be possible.Access: The site is located just out ofHines. The pattern of development iscurrently oriented toward auto access.Bike access is possible if a bike lane ora separate path through town (toBurns) was made; pedestrian access ispossible but the scale and character ofthe surrounding development is not"pedestrian friendly".Ownership: The land is owned by alocal resident who would like to de-velop adjacent land (as a RV park) andwould like to donate the site.

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