In a letter dated February 28, 2019, the City of Page informed the Glen Canyon Conservancy that the Powell Museum would no longer serve as Page’s official visitor center.
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By Steven Law
Special to the Chronicle
PAGE – In a letter dated February 28, 2019, the City of Page informed the Glen Canyon Conservancy that the Powell Museum would no longer serve as Page’s official visitor center.
The conservancy took over the Powell Museum and the Visitor Center when the two non-profits merged earlier this year.
The museum, though, will continue to serve as Page’s official visitor center until June 20, 2019, after which the museum will continue, but the visitor center won’t.
The city of Page was both supportive of the conservancy and Powell Museum’s recent merger and very polite in the tone of the communique, said Martin Stamat, GCC’s executive director.
“The conclusion of the agreement has been amicable, professional, and everyone at (the conservancy) looks forward to continuing to do our part in making the city, museum, and our community greater every day,” Stamat said.
On Monday, Page Mayor Levi Tappan told the Chronicle that a new agreement will have to be made between the city and the conservancy.
“I can’t say what that partnership will look like yet,” he said.
Mayor Tappan said the city council may consider continuing funding of the visitor center for the upcoming fiscal year.
“That will be up to this year’s new council to see where their priorities are,” Tappan said.
The mayor said as far as he’s concerned, all options for the visitor center are on the table, including the possibility of the city creating and operating one itself further down the road, or continuing the partnership with the conservancy.
Glen Canyon Conservancy, formerly Glen Canyon Natural History Association, merged with the John Wesley Powell Museum Historical and Archaeological Society Inc. in February, creating a combined 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Whether the museum will serve as the visitor center in the next fiscal year or beyond, Stamat says his organization still remains dedicated to offering Page visitors their best possible experience.
“We’re still committed to helping both locals and visitors find the information, supplies, and resources needed to safely experience and explore Powell country and the Grand Circle and will continue to provide helpful, friendly, and informative customer service to all visitors to all of GCC’s 10 retail locations throughout Arizona and Utah,” Stamat added.
The Powell Museum joins many other historic and public lands organizations in celebrating the 150th anniversary of Major John Wesley Powell’s 1869 expedition exploring and mapping the canyons of the Green and Colorado Rivers.
The letter from the city of Page refers to the conservancy as a great asset to the community.
Stamat said the conservancy’s administrative team – staff, and board of directors – are vested in making the organization exactly that to our gateway communities spanning from Marble Canyon to Page to Bullfrog, Utah.
Glen Canyon Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and official partner of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Rainbow Bridge National Monument.
