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pipelines through the area has had a significant impact on construction activity <br /> since 1987. <br /> Another major component of the region's economy is tourism and recreation. <br /> The region contains several major tourist attractions including Mesa Verde National <br /> Park, as well as Canyonlands and Arches National Parks to the west. Mesa Verde <br /> had a record 742,000 visitors in 1992. There are also three major ski areas <br /> providing winter tourism: Telluride, Purgatory and Wolf Creek. These ski areas <br /> have a combined draw in excess of 1/2 million skier days in a typical year. The <br /> area also features the attractions of the Old West such as the Narrow Gauge <br /> Railroad which runs from Durango to Silverton on the original tracks laid before the <br /> turn of the century. <br /> The region is also drawing an increasing number of residents due to its high <br /> quality of life. With a desirable climate and relatively mild winters, the area has <br /> attracted numerous retirees. It is also attracting an increasing number of people <br /> with small businesses or professions which can operate without close access to <br /> large markets. As information services become a larger sector of our national <br /> economy, this trend should continue to bring growth to this region. <br /> Overall, the region has experienced two decades of relatively rapid change <br /> as the economy shifts from its traditional basis of agriculture and natural resource <br /> extraction to a mix where oil and gas production remains important, but where <br /> tourism, recreation and service industries are becoming increasingly dominant. <br /> The combination of growth in tourism and service sectors of the economy <br /> combined with a surge of growth in the oil and gas industry brought an economic <br /> 33 <br />