[Geysers] YNP gets more funding in federal budget

[Freund, Udo]

Today's Billings Gazette had the following article:
Yellowstone Park gets more funding 
By MIKE STARK
Of The Gazette Staff 
Yellowstone National Park will get more money for day-to-day operations
this year and funding for three major construction projects under the
Bush administration's 2006 budget. 
The budget request announced Monday will increase Yellowstone's
operating budget from $29.8 million last year to $30.7 million for the
2006 fiscal year, which begins in October. 
The budget also includes $11.2 million to replace the visitor center at
Old Faithful, $11.1 million to restore the west wing of the Old Faithful
Inn and $4.1 million to replace the wastewater treatment plant at
Madison. 
Despite tightening on domestic spending, the National Park Service's
$1.7 billion operating budget increases by $50.5 million in the 2006
proposed budget. The funding includes raises for Park Service employees.

"The operation budgets fared very well," said Elaine Sevy, a spokeswoman
at Park Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. 
But the overall Park Service budget of $2.2 billion would drop by $65.6
million, about 3 percent, because of deep cuts in matching grants to
states for projects promoting outdoor recreation. 
Park advocates said they were pleased to see increases for operating
costs and personnel, but concerned that funding for the Park Service
system still falls short. 
"We still have a long way to go to meet the needs of the parks," said
Blake Selzer, a legislative representative for the National Parks
Conservation Association. 
The group issued a study in 2003 showing that the park system operates
with $600 million less than it needs each year. Yellowstone is
underfunded by about $22.7 million annually, the group said. 
Operating budgets for most national parks increased by nearly 5 percent
in the 2005 budget. Selzer said there was some concern that those
improvements would be rolled back for 2006, especially in light of
financial belt-tightening this year. 
Instead, the day-to-day budget for parks would increase $50 million
under the 2006 budget, including $40 million in pay and benefits for
employees. 
At Grand Teton, the operating budget would increase from $10.1 million
last year to $10.4 million in 2006. Also, $1.7 million would be provided
to rehabilitate 17 historic buildings. Glacier would see its operating
budget increase from $11.5 million to $11.9 million. 
Officials said the 2006 budget also would help put a dent in the long
list of maintenance projects in national parks. Several years ago,
President Bush vowed to provide $4.9 billion for the maintenance
backlog, which includes work on trails, campgrounds, sewer systems and
visitor centers. The 2006 budget includes $1.1 billion for those
projects. 
So far, more than 4,000 projects on the list have been completed but the
true scope of the backlog may not be known for another two years because
parks across the country are conducting an assessment of the work that
needs to be done, Sevy said.

Udo Freund
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