Letter to the Editor: Dinosaur museum an opportunity to create lasting legacy

Dear editor:
It isn’t often that Greybull is presented with an opportunity to create a lasting legacy for the city and surrounding communities, something that people generations from now will proudly be able to identify as unique and important to our area. Such is the opportunity recently announced by the 501(c)3 nonprofit Big Horn Basin Dinosaur and Geoscience Museum (BHBDGM). Working together with the Town of Greybull, these two entities are seeking funds to create a dinosaur museum on Greybull Avenue in a building to be constructed adjacent to the Greybull Library and Museum.
The BHBDGM’s goal is to not just display the life-sized casts of these ancient animals but to also illustrate the world they lived in, the history of their excavation and their importance to science. Such a museum would provide significant educational, economic, and social benefits for not just Greybull but surrounding communities as well.
The BHBDGM has set an initial goal of raising $400,000 to purchase four museum-quality casts of world-famous dinosaurs collected from local dinosaur quarries including “Big Al 2” and “Sarah.” (For details, please go to bighornbasindinos.org.).  At the same time, The Town of Greybull is now pursuing grants to construct a ~3,000 square foot building to house that collection plus additional fossils. According to its website, the BHBDGM has already reached more than one-third of its goal.
This is a rare chance for Greybull to become something more than a place for tourists to stop only for food, gas, and lodging. A quality dinosaur museum will be an enhancement to the town and will surely entice people to stop and see something they can’t see in Cody or Yellowstone, and perhaps encourage them to explore our local businesses. The museum envisioned by the BHBDGM and the Town of Greybull leaders will allow locals and visitors to connect some fascinating and impressive dinosaur paleontology directly to our area and history. This is a history of which we can be genuinely very proud.
Building a dinosaur museum in Greybull can be successful if our efforts have the backing of parents, teachers, administrators, businesses and the community. If all of us come together and encourage each other we can achieve this very realistic goal that will benefit Greybull educationally, socially, and economically. The BHBDGM and Town will give a summary of the Museum plans on April 29 at 6 p.m. at the Greybull Public Library. We encourage people to learn about this project and opportunity, and to keep this fundraising going.
Please join us in helping the Big Horn Basin Dinosaur and Geoscience Museum and the Town of Greybull “Bring ’em Home.”
Bill Hayes
Big Horn County Citizens
for Economic Development