Shively Airfield makes an impact

Saratoga’s Shively Airfield supports nearly 200 jobs and generates more than $16 million for the state and local economy, according to a recent study conducted by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT).

The last Statewide Economic Impact Study from WYDOT was in 2013 and showed that aviation in Wyoming generated approximately $1.4 billion. That number increased in 2020 to $2 billion. Additionally, aviation in Wyoming was found to support 9.5 percent of statewide employment resulting in more than 27,000 jobs.

With a more specific look at each of the 34 airports with paved runways in the state, the Statewide Economic Impact Study showed how each contributed to not only the state’s economy but their local economy as well and how that had changed. In 2013, for example, Saratoga’s Shively Airfield had seen 6,825 visitors. Seven years later, that number had nearly doubled to 12,168 visitors in 2020.

Those visits equated to an increase in employment, with 35 jobs being tied to the economic impact of the Shively Field in 2013 and 193 jobs in 2020, statewide. Locally, that number was at 172 in 2020 with 148 jobs directly tied to the economic impacts of Shively Field and 24 jobs indirectly connected to the airport.

The amount of state and local sales tax generated through the Saratoga Airport were estimated at $170,790 in 2013, which increased to $765,470 in 2020. Those revenues were the result of either visitors through the airport or employees of the airport spending money in the area.

The statewide economic activity generated by Shively Field increased from $4,566,830 in 2013 to $16,319,900 in 2020. The local economic activity, meanwhile, was estimated at $10,237,500 with $8,336,300 of that directly from the airport and $1,901,200 indirectly tied to the airport.

“As the front door for many visitors to the Platte Valley, the Saratoga Airport is driving significant economic value to the town of Saratoga,” said the Saratoga Airport Advisory Board in a press release. “Even with the challenges to travel, in 2020 the airport generated $765,470 in sales tax revenue.”

The Saratoga Airport Advisory Board went on to say “the airport’s contribution to the community extends to the quality-of-life benefits for the community as the airport was heavily used to support the firefighting efforts this summer, is being regularly used by an air freight operation for the benefit of customers in Carbon County and hosts Saratoga’s only rental car facility.”