Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 26

26-Star-Tribune. Casper. Wyo. Wednesday. June 27.

1979 g'S tourist holding own OSt OI CHEYENNE (UPI) Most sections of 'Wyoming's tourist Industry are holding their own despite a drop in tourist visits, ut attendance Is fluctuating wildly among -the state's resorts, says a state travel ifficial. "We normally get .5 5 to (.5 million Visitors a year in Wyoming. From all ijicatlons, we're not going to get that many ihis year, but people who do come are Staying longer," said Ernie Over of the Wyoming Travel Commission. "Because of that, there has not been that great an effect on the state's tourist Industry so far. Most of the private resorts this month, when the fuel crunch hit the East Coast, Over said.

As a result, only 22,000 people have passed through the Cheyenne center this year, down 9,000 from last year. "There are fewer people traveling and it's the gas situation, that's doing it, we feel sure. It's frustrating because there is gasoline available here. People are just afraid to leave the population centers," he said. The tourist's destination also fluctuated, sometimes In unusual ways, he noted.

For instance, while Grand Teton National Park is reporting a good year, with visitation up I percent in May over 178 Yellowstone National Park next door was down 20 percent for the month and 14 percent for the year a drop of more than 18,000 visitors. Meanwhile, visitation at Fossil Butte in Kemmerer, the state's newest national monument, was up a whopping 62 percent in May. "That's a tremendous increase," Over said of the Fossil Butte attendance. "We're not exactly sure the cause, but we did do regional advertising In Utah earlier this year. That could be a contributing factor." T' The Grand Teton Yellowstone incongruity could be attributed to the dif-, ferent clientele at each park, he said.

More regional residents than tourists visit Grand Teton in the summer and aren't affected by gasoline fears, he said. Some resorts are picking up the slack from sources not related solosely to tourists, Over said. Jackson got a big boost this spring from the filming of the movie, "Wind River," and the convention business Is up as well, he said. "One thing that really worries us' la airline service," he said. "If people can't come here by automobile, how are they going to get here?" Bus and train service are limited and many areas of the state have no Interstate airline service, he said.

"We've got some very, attractive national attractions but people Just can't get there," he said. and lodges are doing okay." Traffic at the state-run visitation centers in Jackson, Cheyenne and Sheridan rose and fell with the headlines about gasoline shortages la California in Maand on the East Coast this month, he said. Visitation was running at a good pace until mid-May, when lines started forming at California gasoline stations, he said. A "tremendous" drop followed, then there was a steady increase until the middle of more Probation violated yyomin industry Urn mm tmJi -W 1 i'A 1 Water opinion alarms Herschler DOUGLAS John Michael Cross, 36, returned to District Court in Douglas charged with violating one term of his probation. Cross was released on probation from the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins March 31, J978, after serving two months on a two-to-five-year sentence.

Under the terms of the probation Cross was to leave the state and not return except in an emergency and then only with court or Wyoming probation department approval. Converse County law enforcement officials began probation revocation proceedings after being notified by probation officials that Cross had returned to Wyoming in April of this year. At that time, Cross contacted the Green River probation officer. On the witness stand, Cross admitted being in Wyoming on seven other occasions, the last time returning to live in Douglas1. Cross stated that each occasion he returned to Wyoming was with the knowledge and approval of his then current probation officers in the states of Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and Arizona.

District Judge George P. Sawyer, who originally sentenced Cross, said Cross's presence in Wyoming was a serious violation of his probation but that it was a technical violation. Sawyer ruled that Cross may remain out of prison on probation until the full five years are completed but sternly warned Cross against any further entry into Wyoming without permission from Wyoming officials. upstream of BLM land, will loose water development opportunities." The document has been forwarded to the state attorney general's office and the legal committee of the Western States Water Council for detailed review. Herschler said the opinion recognizes the obligation of federal agencies to follow "state water law procedures" and he added that Andrus has pledged his personal effors to force his agency's compliance with the document.

"My only fear," Herschler said, "is that the bureaucracy of federal land management may be too much red tape for any one mln, Including Secretary Andrus." beard about the document from someone other than the news media." The governor said he had two Immediate concerns: "One, the opinion appears to discount the effect of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions limiting federal rights," he said. Herschler said the opinion appears to do so by "asserting a claim to absolute ownership of the water necessary to 'implement particular Congressional; "And I am alarmed by the potential Impact of the secretary's opinion upon water development opportunities," Herschler said. "If BLM is able to claim absolute ownership of the waters necessary to accomplish the congressional purpose of wilderness areas, then other Wyoming water users, especially those CHEYENNE (UPI) Gov. Ed Herschler Monday expressed alarm at some implications of a recent 70-page government legal opinion on the Issue of water rights reserved to the states.

"It is too early to properly evaluate the impact or importance of the document," Herschler said. "Federal claims hang like dense cloud over water development in Wyoming. This opinion dies not remove the shadow but it should go a long way to Removing the undercertainty about its sjze." Even though he expressed concern about document's implications, he praised Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus for Notifying state officials of its 'promulgation. "1 have mixed feelings about the 70-page opinion," Herschler said. "But at least I Photo by Mary Jean Wilson A prairie dog sits on fop of his burrow us inside ihe boundaries of Devil's Tower near Architect for new state offices will be selected At Capital, your money does MORE CHEYENNE The Capitol Building Commission Is scheduled to select an architect Monday, July 2, for the new state office building to be constructed north of the Capitol Building.

-Sitting as the commission, Gov. Ed Herschler andthe other four elected state officials heard presentations Monday from three architect finalists chosen by a subcommittee. of Morris Kemper and Associates of Cheyenne; Robert G. Muir and Associates of Colorado and Green River; and Corbett and Associates of Jackson presented Ideas for the building. i Kemper outlined designs emphasizing the use Of solar energy panels to reduce cooling and heating costs and a 500-car underground parking area.

Kemper said the building, which would take 2'k years to complete, should have a lifespan of 80 to 100 years. He suggested the exterior be of granite to complement the Capital Building. The 1979 Legislature appropriated $1.1 million in planning money for the long-delayed project. Several years ago, the commission acquired the two blocks immediately north of the Capitol for the office building to consolidate state agencies scattered throughout the capital city in leased buildings. Kemper said his group could have design development drawins and detailed cost estimates ready by the end of the year for submission to the 1980 budget session.

-I than build the highest interest allowed by law i Insurance coverage date same -CHEYENNE (UPI) The Wyoming attorney general ruled Monday the effective date for medical malpractice insurance coverage under a state-administered fund Is the same as each doctor's malpractice liability policy. The formal legal opinion caries the weight of law unless overruled by the courts or Legislature. It was requested by state Treasurer Shirley Wittier and written by Senior Assistant Attorney General Robert Bullock. Her question dealt with administration of the state's medical liability compensation fund, created to provide coverage in addition to a doctor's regular liability in surance. Participation in the fund, which is supplied with money from surcharges levied on doctors, is voluntary.

"The effective date for coverage under the Wyoming Medical Liability Compensation Fund must be the same as the effective date of the basic malpractice lability insurance policy," Bullock wrote. New Lander bank charter OK'd LANDER State Examiner Dwlght Bonham has approved a new state bank charter for the Yellowstone State Bank of Lander. It will be the third bank for -f and manager. Bonham said he will issue the charter when the organizers have shown evidence of. membership In the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and have paid In $1 million in capital.

Organizers Ipclude Carve L. Chapman, Dana L. Sims, Earl Seerly, E.W. Sayer, Dr. Harry John L.

Vidacovlch, Eli Bebout, William F. Eger, W.T. Nightingale, Charles M. Erickson, and Orville Little, Identified In the application as the proposed bank president 1 me rremont county I.J 7 I i ZZSS3 L. 1 4i We start with 100 pure fresh NEVER FROZEN ground beef.

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