If Congress authorizes a cost-sharing program, three national parks in Utah could begin innovative projects paid for by the federal government and matching private donations.
The proposal is the Centennial Challenge, named for the National Park Service's centennial in 2009. It would fund up to $100 million a year for 10 years with public money, if it is matched with private donations. Overall, the proposed projects have more money from private sources than the federal government.
Park Service director Mary A. Bomar said the grant program has been proposed but Congress has yet to finish legislation necessary to create it.
Meanwhile, the Park Service has certified 201 proposals for 116 park areas in 40 states that would qualify for the matching funds, if the federal money becomes available.
Altogether, the 201 proposals would cost $369.9 million. Of this, $215.9 million would come from partners and $154 million from the U.S. Treasury, according to the Park Service's plan. Some of the proposals are to continue ongoing projects, while others would pay for new projects that could begin during the agency's 2008 fiscal year, which starts on Oct. 1.
In Utah, three projects have been proposed:
- An $840,000 matching grant for the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which straddles the Utah-Arizona border, would pay for research into alternative motorboat propulsion, which could result in "cleaner, quieter boats," according to a news release from the recreation area. The study also could benefit Grand Canyon National Park.
The project, which would be carried out with help from the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association, would seek an environmentally friendly alternative motorboat propulsion system suited for commercial river operations on the Colorado River. The aim is to find a propulsion method that is durable, safe and reliable, while using alternative energy sources that are nearly emission-free and silent, the news release said.
Two matching grants would benefit Zion National Park. One proposal would rehabilitate the historic Grotto Museum, at a cost of $90,000, with the help of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Zion Natural History Association. The second proposal would pay for a series of events and programs to celebrate the park's centennial, at a cost of $250,000.
The rehabilitation of the museum would include design work, roofing and interior finish work, including flooring, paint, fixtures and furnishings, park officials said in a news release.
A $389,300 grant for Cedar Breaks National Monument would help preserve the monument, with the help of Southern Utah University.
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