Study details parks’ effect on Montana, Wyoming economy

Communities near national parks in Montana and Wyoming reap hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits annually and support thousands of jobs thanks to the parks, according to a new National Park Service study.

Montana’s national parks, excluding Yellowstone, had 2.5 million visits in fiscal year 2005, stimulated benefits of $111 million to local economies and supported 2,631 local jobs, the study showed.

Yellowstone was assigned to Wyoming because that is its official mailing address.

Wyoming had 6.8 million visits to its national parks in fiscal year 2005. Its parks sparked $438 million in benefits and supported 10,065 local jobs, the study said.

By NOELLE STRAUB/Gazette Washington Bureau

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