In Yellowstone, Norton Pledges to Rehabilitate National Parks

Touring America’s first national park, Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton on Friday reiterated President Bush’s pledge to invest $4.9 billion over the next five years to make improvements to the nation’s parks.

Norton was at Yellowstone National Park to learn more about its maintenance backlog and other concerns, as well as the park’s improvement efforts, such as plans for better visitor education centers.

Yellowstone would have to spend about $700 million to address needed repairs, infrastructure improvements and other natural resource projects, park spokeswoman Cheryl Matthews said. The park’s fiscal 2001 budget is $31.5 million.

Roads and trails are in disrepair, some buildings aren’t usable in winter and aged vehicles and heavy equipment are costly to maintain. Sewer systems are failing, and not all restrooms are usable.

“For me, seeing those things firsthand was very important,” Norton said.

The Interior Department’s proposal for the next federal budget includes $440 million to address the maintenance backlog, she said.

The park plans extensive renovation of the Canyon Visitor Center, and similar projects aimed at teaching visitors about Yellowstone’s geology and wildlife are proposed over the next few years.

About 3 million people visit Yellowstone every year. The park covers more than 2.2 million acres in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It has the sixth-highest number of visitors among the national parks.