The Sublette County commissioners have agreed to fund completion of a tourism DVD project started by the now-dissolved tourism board.

That decision was made during a regular bimonthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 2, where the commissioners appropriated $19,100 for the project as requested by Pinedale Lodging and Tourism Alliance (PLTA) member Sofia Wakefield.

Wakefield asked that money left from the former countywide lodging tax be used to create three promotional tourism programs, explaining the current videos do not achieve the tourism alliance’s promotional objectives.

“It’s pretty much beautiful landscapes, but it doesn’t really promote us,” she said at a previous commissioners’ meeting.

The commissioners agreed to fund the project but might not be able to use money left from the former lodging tax.

According to Fred Pflughoft of Pinedale, who shot about 12 hours of footage for the tourism DVDs, there is about $35,000 to $45,000 remaining from the $92,000 budgeted for the original DVD project.

The State Treasurer collected those funds after the county commissioners dissolved the tourism board late last year.

According to state statute, any leftover funding will be divided among the county, Pinedale, Big Piney and Marbleton.

PLTA and Pflughoft plan to work with Bridger Productions, a film production company in Jackson, to complete the

programs.

Pflughoft said $19,100 would be paid to the film production company.

PLTA plans to create a four-minute promotional DVD that can be used on business or county Web sites, a 12-minute promotional DVD for in-room showings at the Visitor’s Center and an educational DVD.

Pflughoft said only minor changes are needed in the DVD programs to achieve the tourism alliance’s goal.

He explained the current DVD project is almost finished and awaiting public input.

However, the concept of the DVD project has changed.

According to Pflughoft, the original DVDs were not designed to promote activities, businesses or lodging.

“They were conceived and designed with the intent to be purely educational and visually stimulating,” he said.

He explained the DVD programs on wildlife and scenic Sublette County,

hiking, backpacking, fishing, climbing and wildflowers were supposed to show visitors the visual sights the county has to offer.

They were also to be used to educate visitors and part-time county residents about the area’s outdoor activities.

Pflughoft said the scope of the project has now shifted toward promoting tourism and businesses.

He and Wakefield plan to work together to reach that goal.

“All I have been trying to do is get the job done,” Pflughoft said. “We just want to see the project completed to benefit Sublette County tourism.”

Pflughoft has been working on the DVD project for three years and said he wants to see it through.

During the Feb. 2 commission meeting, Commissioner John Linn asked if the county should contract with the producers of the future film project.

“I don’t want to see the county in the tourism promoting business; that’s not our job,” he said, explaining he would prefer a contract between the Sublette County Chamber of Commerce and the producers of the tourism DVDs.

“It seems to me that they should be the ones handling it,” Linn said.

Commission Chair Bill Cramer said he was in favor of finishing the DVD project, explaining it’s important with the summer tourism season approaching.

Pflughoft said he is excited about the soon-to-be finished product.

“I’ve gotten some exceptional footage to make this a top-notch deal,” he said. “(Sofia Wakefield) has an outstanding

vision.”



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