Bush would boost park package

M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 7, 2007 at midnight

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President Bush has proposed an extra $5.1 million for National Park Service lands in Colorado, and that could be just the tip of the iceberg if Congress backs a plan to match private donations.

The president has asked Congress to give the park service its biggest budget increase in history - $258 million more than in his 2006 budget request.

The hope is to jump-start public lands projects to get ready for 2016, the 100th anniversary of the agency.

In Colorado, this year's budget request would mean an extra $3 million for Colorado's four national parks: Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the Great Sand Dunes. Meanwhile, historic sites, monuments and recreation areas in the state would get increases of more than $2 million over 2006 levels.

Combined, Colorado's sites would get $34.5 million, compared with $29.4 million in fiscal year 2006, the last time Congress approved federal budget.

"This is the most significant increase I've seen in my 30 years with the park service," said Vaughn Baker, superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park.

There, an extra $1.35 million would be used to hire 27 seasonal workers, including rangers, patrol officers and maintenance personnel, and chip away an estimated $65 million to $70 million worth of deferred maintenance, Baker said.

Congress still has to approve the spending, along with a plan for the federal government to match up to $100 million per year worth of private donations for park-related projects.

The hope is that over the next decade that means an extra $1 billion in federal spending to match at least $1 billion in private contributions.

That plan will take shape between now and the end of May, after Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who oversees the park service, leads a series of "listening sessions" around the country about projects members of the public and would-be donors would like to see.

17 percent increase for Colorado sites

President Bush's proposed budget would pump $2.4 billion into the National Park Service in fiscal year 2008. The budget proposal includes a 17 percent increase for parks, monuments and other sites in Colorado.

Budget increase Percent change

Rocky Mountain National Park $1,347,000 12

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park $569,000 53

Mesa Verde National Park $880,000 17

Great Sand Dunes National Park $205,000 10

Dinosaur National Monument $491,000 17

Colorado National Monument $434,000 38

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument $130,000 17

Hovenweep National Monument $32,000 6

Yucca House National Monument $1,000 1

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site $198,000 43

Curecanti National Recreation Area $772,000 25