GTNP would benefit from budget increase

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

By Melanie Stein

Last week, President Bush proposed a record increase in the National Park Service’s operations budget for fiscal year 2008 — which begins Oct. 1 — that will enable the Service’s 390 park units to improve park maintenance and enhance park experiences for visitors.

The $2.4 billion proposal is an increase of $230 million from the 2007 request and is partially designed to help prepare for the National Park Service’s 100th birthday in 2016.

“The normal operating budget for Grand Teton National Park is $10.6 million,” Jackie Skaggs, public affairs specialist, said. “The proposed budget, which still needs Congressional approval and could look different [in the end], is for $1.8 million more in
funds for 2008,” bringing the operating budget to about $12.5 million.

The funds can be used for maintenance and to hire some personnel. Grand Teton will be able to hire an additional 19 seasonal maintenance rangers, 18 seasonal interpretation rangers, 11 seasonal law enforcement rangers and 10 rangers that are subject to furlough and will have longer term employment.

With these new hires, the park will be able to provide “adequate visitor safety, outreach, education and interpretation as well as maintain the park up to visitor standards,” Skaggs said.

The money will also be used toward funding “backlog maintenance projects” that the park hasn’t had the funding to complete, such as water and sewer projects.

The president’s proposed budget also emphasizes the need for public-private investments to generate funds for the parks. Private investors are encouraged to match investments dollar for dollar.

“It’s a call to action for private investments to help augment the federal money that’s available” for the parks, Skaggs explained.

Some of the money is also targeted at helping the parks with the National Parks Centennial Initiative, celebrating 100 years of operation. Joan Anzelmo, public affairs chief at GTNP, is working with Mary Bomar, director of the National Park Service, to
gear up for the centennial.

“We are inviting the private sector to help prepare the parks to enter a new century of operation and to show the value of national parks to our country,” Anzelmo said.

The Centennial Initiative kicked off last week with an event at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia attended by President Bush. Anzelmo and others are working with Director Bomar to plan the full roll out of the Initiative.
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GTNP would benefit from budget increase | Planet JH News Article: General Environment

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