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Cruise Ship Industry May Help Buoy Airport by Elaine Williams Lewiston Tribune, June 5, 2018

Offerings of overnight river trips along Columbia and Snake rivers expanding

The 500 tourists per week arriving or departing from Clarkston on cruise boats might help the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport boost its passenger numbers.

Right now, between 30 and 40 cruise boat customers use the airport each week, said Michelle Peters, president and CEO of the tourism nonprofit Visit Lewis Clark Valley, who addressed the Asotin County Commission on Monday. As many as 120 to 150 per week are paying $120 per person for a shuttle to or from Spokane, she said.

The shuttle fee is not included in cruise fares, so Lewiston could be more economical for them even if the airfare is slightly more than Spokane.

The Lewiston airport is looking to attract travelers following the announcement that Horizon Air was pulling its Seattle and Boise flights at the end of August because they weren't full enough. Once Horizon leaves, SkyWest's Salt Lake City flights, which are doing well, will be the only commercial passenger service offered at Lewiston.

The $3 million overnight cruise boat industry along the Snake and Columbia rivers is growing, Peters said. Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic recently replaced a 62-passenger boat with one that has room for 100 passengers. And American Cruise Lines is adding a third vessel next year that is under construction - the 186-passenger American Song, which has the sleek design of European boats.

"The increase in boat traffic is really impressive," Commissioner Jim Jeffords said.

As vibrant as the cruise boat industry is in Asotin County, it could disappear entirely if the four lower-Snake River dams are breached, Peters said.

A majority of the vessels that frequent Clarkston are coastal boats.

"These guys will just take a left (on the West Coast) and go to Alaska."

In other business:

• Discussed the possibility of new rules for bonfires at Headgate County Park along Asotin Creek after law enforcement officials found logs smoldering at the park. The fire didn't spread or cause any damage, but that likely wouldn't have been the case had it been later in the season when vegetation had dried, said Asotin County Sheriff John Hilderbrand.
• Approved an increase in the compensation of the Wesley Group, a firm that assists county officials with labor negotiations with unions representing courthouse, public works and sheriff's department employees. A retainer went from $500 per month to $700 per month. The hourly fee for when the county needs additional help is rising from $60 per hour to $80 per hour. The county hadn't raised the firm's fees for about 20 years.