Area National Parks To Receive $3.5 Million In Stimulus Funds

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   Approximately $3.5 million in federal stimulus funds have been awarded to national parks in Northern Arizona, including $441,000 to Petrified Forest National Park.
   The National Park Service announced the funding awards last week. They are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and are designed to rebuild infrastructure and create jobs.
   Funds directed to Petrified Forest will be used to repair the Blue Mesa trail and replace the air conditioning system in the historic Painted Desert Visitor Center at the north end of the park. Funds will also be used to replace lighting and improve energy efficiency park-wide.
   In a previous interview, Park Superintendent Cliff Spencer noted that many of the buildings within the park, including the Painted Desert Visitor Center, were last remodeled more than 30 years ago and are not designed to be energy efficient. Improving the energy efficiency of the buildings will not only reduce energy use, but is expected to result in significant financial savings for the park in the long run.
   Canyon de Chelly will receive $2.89 million in federal funds, the largest amount awarded locally. The funds will be used to repair trails, perform preservation work on roads in the park and rehabilitate the restroom facilities.
   Hubbell Trading Post was awarded a total of $86,000. A portion of the funds will be used to restore the family picnic area at the trading post, and the remainder will be used for farmland preservation with the Navajo Youth Corps.
   Sunset Crater is expected to receive $53,000 in federal stimulus funding. The money will be used to replace sidewalks near the visitor center that are described as being unsafe.
   Walnut Canyon will receive $51,000. The funds are slated for repairing and improving drainage near the historic Ranger Ledge.
   A total of $20.47 million was awarded to national parks throughout Arizona, and a total of $750 million to the National Park Service’s intermountain region, which includes Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Of that amount, approximately $11.3 million is set aside for projects in and around Grand Canyon National Park.
   “These projects are an investment in America’s future that will create jobs, stimulate the economies of local communities, and get our country moving again,” noted Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar of the funds for national parks. “They are also an investment in telling the story of America to future generations through our national parks by conserving our awe-inspiring landscapes, our rich culture and our great heritage.”
   The park service has set up a Web site for the public to track the recovery fund projects. It can be accessed at www.interior.gov/recovery/nps.