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Show X SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY APRIL 14, 1899 12 Grand Canyon National Park awards contract for new transportation hub Community Grand Canycn Naticnr.1 Park enters a new chapter in history with the announcement of a con- award for the construction of Canyon View Information Plaza, a new orientationtrans- portation hub located on the Canyons South Rim, that will facilitate travel to and within the park. orientation exhibit kiosks Even- tually the plaza will include a bookstore, constructed and op- erated by the Grand Canyon Association and a bicycle rental shop to be constructed and oper- ated by a concessionaire. The purpose of this new facil- ity is to provide a transitorien- tation center at the South Rim only will this facility change the way visitors experience the park; it is a major step in implement-trac- t ing the parks 1995 General Management Plan to improve the quality of visitor experience, and to better protect park re- sources. A ground breaking ceremony is planned for Friday, April 23, 1999. Interior Secretary Bruce The $7.5 million contract has been awarded to D.L. dent Robert AhpfrrpwmTp Norton General Contracting, of Scottsdale, Arizona, joined by Transportation Secre- The $7.5 million contract has been awarded to D.L. Norton General Contracting, Inc. of Scottsdale, Arizona. The project includes an orientation center, transit pavilion with transit plat- form canopies, two bus shelters, serving shuttle lines to other Rim destinations, two restrooms, and a system of free- standing outdoor shelters and The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Rocky Moun- tain Elk Foundation have signed a memorandum of understand- ing that creates a shared staff position to address wildlife habi- tat conservation and open space issues throughout Utah. NativeUtahnDwightBunnell, a DWR employee for 29 years who has worked with the Foun- on several projects, was selected to staff the Utah Wild- life Lands Project m January 1999. Bunnell will work' with; 4andowners and the public to provide information about con- - landowners and wildlife. The pilot program will offer land- owners an opportunity to explore several methods for protecting their property from fragmenta- tion and development while eas- ing some tax burdens. During renewal the term ofthe two-yeMOU, Bunnell will work closely with the Elk Foundations Utah Field Director Bill Christensen to reach as many landowners and wildlife enthusiasts as pos- . sible in Utah. Cooperation and partner- ships are becoming increasingly essential to conserve wildlife habitat, said Bunnell, Agency budgets are shrinking, issues are more complex and private land- owners are faced with increas- ar ers and the public to find solu- tions for alleviating these pres- sures. The Quality Growth Act, recently passed by the 1999 leg- islature and signed by Governor Leavitt, provides a new and im- - portant opportunity tat. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is an international, Congratulations Aaron Wilson! 7 Love, Sarah, Ray & Miri Canyon, a menu of activities to plan their visit, and the means to access those activities. The plaza will be the focal point for transportation on the South Rim where visitors will have a choice of buses, bicycle paths, or walk- ing paths to take them to their desired location. The plaza and transportation system is the first of its kind in a national park and reflects In- - conservation organi- - terior Secretary Babbitts zation whose mission is to en- - tiative to reduce automobile traf-sure the future of elk, other wild- - fie in national parks. As one of life and their habitat. Founded the most visited national parks in 1984, the Foundation now has in the western United States, roadways and parking lots in nearly 110,000 members-mor- e Utah-who have the park have become increas- than 3,000 in helped generate $85 million to ingly congested over the last two conserve and enhance more than decades. Nearly 5 million people 2.5 million acres of wildlife habi- - visit the park each year and most tat across North America. The arrive by private car. During Elk Foundation has contributed summer months as many as almost $5 million to 142 projects 6,500 cars will enter the parks ments like this MOU, the groups in the state, permanently pro- - gates on the South Rim all vying involved can leverage their own tectingmore than 100,000 acres for a limited number of parking resources to provide more op- - and enhancing another 86,000 spaces. The current roadways and park infrastructure were portunities for private landown- - acres of Utah wildlife habitat built in the 1950s when visitaCertified PPG Painters tion had not quite reached 1 Certified PPG Collision Repair Center million visitors annually. Not non-prof- it Custom Painting All Work Guaranteed Insurance Work Welcome Hide the Ambulance -Aarons an EMT! for partnering with local interest groups to protect wildlife habi- - tary Rodney Slater and other aig- near Mather Point, the first nitaries to mark this historical major viewpoint. It will be the event. The ceremony will begin primary staging area in the park at 10 a.m. at Mather Point and for a new public transit system, will be followed by a series of Day use visitors will park their public events throughout the day. vehicles at a parking area near Park. Superintendent Robert Tusayan and board a mass tran- Arnberger stated, with this sit system for a short ride to single effort, we mark the begin-Sout- h Canyon View Information P.laza. ning of one of the most massive Canyon View Information changes caused by man, on be- Plaza is integral to the shift from half of man and resource, that automobiles to mass transit, the national park has eyerexpe- feet back from rienced. In the next 3 to 4 years Located 500-80- 0 the canyon rim, the facility is we will put into place a mass designed to accommodate peak transit system that will relieve flows of over 4,000 people per the automobile congestion hour and will provide visitors within the park by leaving cars with an introduction to Grand outside the park. We will soon - Dave s Auto Body 1580 S 40 W 89A Kanab, UT 84741 Dave Little Auto Recycling 435-644-22- 30 Used Auto Parts ini- - start the construction of a Greenway Trail System to ac- commodate moia walkers and biders along the rim, and we will announce the completion of the first building located within the planned Heritage Education Campus in the heart of the his- toric district of the Grand Can- yon Village. With these changes, n we begin to return a quality the tor experience, to reverence each of us must feel when confronted with something so majestic as this Grand Can- yon and we enhance the protec- tion of this world class park set aside so many years ago on be- half of the American people and visi-datio- re-inst- ill for the future generations. Arnberger added, We are on an incredible journey that has been driven by a labor of love. With help from the public and part- ners, we have mapped out a grand plan through the parks General Management Plan. We must not lose sightofthose goals, rather we must continue to work together on this course we have set to protect this gift we all enjoy. LY PALA SAT. 9-- 5, SUN APL1DL 2 ?.. O Clip ad for $1. discount limit ono per sdult 9-- 4 |