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Show ZION NATIONAL PARK POPULAR Washington, Dec. 7. The growing popularity of Zion National park is is shown by the annual report of Hubert Hu-bert S. Work, secretary of the interior. Cooperation of the state of Utah in making the park more readily accessible acces-sible is acknowledged. The secretary says : "In spite of poor road conditions, due to heavy construction work on the approach ap-proach highway early in the summer, which caused a loss in pre-season travel to Zion National park, the year ended with the record breaking total of 24,303 visitors. 'During the year, the first permanent perma-nent superintendent of Zion National park was appointed. "A potential nuisance of the first order was eliminated during the, year with the acquisition of 13.15 acres of private land located just below the checking station. Half the purchase price of $2250 was donated by a friend of the park, and this was matched with government funds. This acquisition gives the park sufficient level ground for buildings in .the admistrative area. "Until recently Zion has been one of the most inaccessible of our parks, located lo-cated sixty-four miles from the nearest railroad. The state of Utah, however, has during the past three years brought all but thirteen miles of the sixty-four miles of the highway from Cedar City up to a federal-aid standard stand-ard graveled road, and Zion may now be reached over excellent Highways. In the admistrative area of the park two buildings of native stone were erected, one as a residence for the superintendent and the other a machine mach-ine shop. An attractive section north of the public camp was made available to motorists." In reference to the Grand Canyon National park, the secretary tells of construction planned and under way by the Utah Parks company, and continues. con-tinues. "Work on the construction of the Kiabab trail was expedited and the completion about two weeks after the close of the park travel year on September Sep-tember 30 is expected. This trail is an engineering feat and its ascent of the blue lime wall on the north side is particularly impressive, carved as it is in places out of sheer cliffs. When completed this trail will make it possible pos-sible to go by sadddle horse from the south to the north rim in one day, instead in-stead of the two days now required." Discussing the park road program, which is of vital interest to Zion as well as other parks, the secretary says; "Despite the excellent progress made under the road budget act, motor travel to the national parks has increased so tremendously during the last two or three years that it will be difficult to accommodate this heavy traffic unless 'larger appropriations are made available. avail-able. With this in mind I instruct the national park service to draw up plans for the necessary road development. develop-ment. In cooperation with the bureau of public roads, such a program was drawn up under which a total fund of approximately $51,000,000 will be required re-quired to complete aldequate road systems sys-tems on modern standards in the national na-tional parks. On this basis, $5,000,000 for road work has been requested in the 1929 estimates." |