Conservation staff defends $200,000 marketing contract amid questions about park visitation data

Juliana Dean, speaking for the Department of Conservation, presented roughly a dozen technical and service contracts and described a marketing services contract with DC Wins that supports events, ribbon cuttings, public relations, strategic marketing and crisis management. When a committee member asked how the synopsis’ stated goal of "increasing visitation numbers" relates to the vendor’s duties, Dean said the firm will provide strategic marketing through website, social media and advertising and confirmed the work is part of the department’s comprehensive plan.

A committee member pressed, “And we get all that for about $200,000 a year?” Dean confirmed the annual amount and agreed to provide visitation statistics on request. Later in the meeting the department reported park attendance of about 4,145,000 guests in fiscal year 2024 and about 4,359,000 in fiscal year 2025, a roughly 5% increase despite some facility closures for renovations.