Veep to attend opening of GTNP visitor center

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

By Melanie Stein

JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING - Grand Teton National Park will dedicate the new $21.5 million Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Moose, Wyo., on Saturday, with the Tetons as a backdrop and with Vice President Dick Cheney as a special guest.

Also on the guest list are Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott, Susan Thomas – the wife of the late Sen. U.S. Craig Thomas, for whom the facility is named – and U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi.

Cheney is expected to offer brief comments during the dedication ceremony, which starts at 10 a.m. The Vice President makes his home in Jackson Hole and typically vacations here in August. He is expected to arrive today and be here through the end of next week.

“The ceremony will be a nice tribute to the fact that this is a public-private partnership project, acknowledging and thanking and giving tribute to the donors who have made this possible,” GTMF Public Affairs Officer Jackie Skaggs said.
The ceremony also will honor and acknowledge Sen. Thomas and “the many wonderful things he did on behalf of the National Park Service and especially Grand Teton National Park,” Skaggs continued.

Grand Teton National Park sent out hundreds of invitations to supporters, elected officials and community members, though the event is free and open to anyone.
“Right now we’re getting RSVPs back for 730 folks that were invited,” said Roger Scott, an officer with the park. “We’re hoping general public comes as well. An outside number [of attendees] would be 1,500.”

A tent, stage and seating will be erected for the ceremony, which will take place in the parking lot outside of the new center, which is located across the Teton Park Road from the existing visitor center. After the dedication ceremony, visitors will have their first opportunity to walk through a courtyard area surrounded by massive columns of Douglas fir, harvested from a sustainable forest in British Columbia, and into the new visitor center.

A large exhibit area focuses on the themes people, place and preservation. With cutting-edge dioramas, large uprights that mimic the angle of the mountains in the distance, sculptures of wildlife made from white stone and an old wagon from the JY Ranch, the visitor center will have dramatically improved, interactive exhibits and documentaries.

Scott noted, however, that the final touches on the center were underway, including stocking the bookstore, paving the parking lot, hanging art and finalizing the exhibits.
The existing visitor center’s bookstore will close at noon on Friday, with the entire center, including bathrooms, closing at 2 p.m. Park visitors who want permits or information should stop in the Colter Bay or Jenny Lake Visitor Centers or in the Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center on North Cache Street in Jackson.

Fishing and river access, except for concession-operated float trips, also will be interrupted during the ceremony on Saturday.

With hundreds of people expected to attend and the presence of the Vice President, people are encouraged to carpool and arrive early. No roads will be closed, however increased traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, is expected. Security measures will also be in place during the Vice President’s visit. For additional details about security measures, visit  HYPERLINK "http://www.PlanetJH.com" www.PlanetJH.com later this week or call the park at 739-3300.


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Veep to attend opening of GTNP visitor center | Planet JH News Article: General News

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