Sandman
Sep 02, 2007, 01:47 AM
Yosemite National Park and lots of others in the sprawling National Park System could use some face lifting if they want to look their best in time for the 100th anniversary of the agency in 2016.
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</td></tr><tr><td>Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne chatted with visitors as he toured Yosemite last week.
Photo courtesy of National Park Service</td></tr><tr><td>
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That's part of the impetus behind the National Park Centennial Initiative, announced last year. Its goal is to raise money for projects as diverse as conserving mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains, saving the hemlocks in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, rejuvenating coral reefs in Biscayne National Park in Florida and developing alternatives for sustainable wastewater treatment at Assateague Island Nation Seashore in Maryland.
The projects deemed eligible for funding for fiscal year 2008 were announced last week at Yosemite by bigwigs United States Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, 19th District Congressman George Radanovich and Yosemite National Park Superintendent Mike Tollefson.
The initiative calls for $1 billion over 10 years to strengthen basic park operations and a challenge to create a partnership with the private sector to provide up to $2 billion, with a goal of $100 million of public-private matching funds each year for 10 years.
"Yosemite is one of the great treasures (of the nation)," Kempthorne said to press and park employees as Half Dome loomed behind him. "Great things are happening."
The secretary said he was expecting perhaps $20 million in the first year of the initiative. Then he pulled a binder out of the lectern and declared that it contained letters of commitment for $301 million.
"Clearly, Americans care about their national parks," said Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks conservation Association, a private group that supports the parks.
He was in the audience and talked to reporters after the speeches.
He was pleased with the list of 2008 accepted projects, but cautioned that the success of the initiative is dependent on federal support.
President Bush proposed the largest NPS budget ever submitted to the House and Senate and both houses are still at work on legislation to authorize private-public funding for the parks.
Out of 116 proposals deemed worthy for 2008 funding, 35 are in California. Locally, one is for a student education outreach program for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park and the others are for Yosemite. Tollefson was on the committee examining the proposals.
more via Sierra Star... (http://www.topix.net/r/07lUe3DDGoDdEToce6O4L2eDlWpv2EqZbDcRkuhTUTxfNBp=2F cjn27JvkZQWXccXS4YgaLv1CAAlE3ngyyUwY6v5G3eCs8dYnNh vDu0XPDUYbzBOQwpYSPfMwLXXcMkTnG)
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<!-- BEGIN Component: SierraStar : component/storylevel/mainimage.comp --> <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="252"><tbody><tr><td> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="252"><tbody><tr><td>http://www.sierrastar.com/ips_rich_content/615-kstar_p0829_park.jpg
</td></tr><tr><td>Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne chatted with visitors as he toured Yosemite last week.
Photo courtesy of National Park Service</td></tr><tr><td>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table> <!-- END Component: SierraStar : component/storylevel/mainimage.comp -->
That's part of the impetus behind the National Park Centennial Initiative, announced last year. Its goal is to raise money for projects as diverse as conserving mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains, saving the hemlocks in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, rejuvenating coral reefs in Biscayne National Park in Florida and developing alternatives for sustainable wastewater treatment at Assateague Island Nation Seashore in Maryland.
The projects deemed eligible for funding for fiscal year 2008 were announced last week at Yosemite by bigwigs United States Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar, 19th District Congressman George Radanovich and Yosemite National Park Superintendent Mike Tollefson.
The initiative calls for $1 billion over 10 years to strengthen basic park operations and a challenge to create a partnership with the private sector to provide up to $2 billion, with a goal of $100 million of public-private matching funds each year for 10 years.
"Yosemite is one of the great treasures (of the nation)," Kempthorne said to press and park employees as Half Dome loomed behind him. "Great things are happening."
The secretary said he was expecting perhaps $20 million in the first year of the initiative. Then he pulled a binder out of the lectern and declared that it contained letters of commitment for $301 million.
"Clearly, Americans care about their national parks," said Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks conservation Association, a private group that supports the parks.
He was in the audience and talked to reporters after the speeches.
He was pleased with the list of 2008 accepted projects, but cautioned that the success of the initiative is dependent on federal support.
President Bush proposed the largest NPS budget ever submitted to the House and Senate and both houses are still at work on legislation to authorize private-public funding for the parks.
Out of 116 proposals deemed worthy for 2008 funding, 35 are in California. Locally, one is for a student education outreach program for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park and the others are for Yosemite. Tollefson was on the committee examining the proposals.
more via Sierra Star... (http://www.topix.net/r/07lUe3DDGoDdEToce6O4L2eDlWpv2EqZbDcRkuhTUTxfNBp=2F cjn27JvkZQWXccXS4YgaLv1CAAlE3ngyyUwY6v5G3eCs8dYnNh vDu0XPDUYbzBOQwpYSPfMwLXXcMkTnG)