Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-20
NEW BUDGET CALLS
FOR BETTER ROADS
IN NATIONAL PARKS
Two Major Projects Planned in
Montana Reserves viii
Open New Country.
Special to The Tribune.

Yellowstone Park, Wye. Ocs. IA
Recommendations for extensive high
way improvements in the national
parks, which are coming each year to
have a greater and greater summer
patronage from automobile and rail
road tourists alike, have been approx
ed by Secretary Of the Interior Al
bert B.. Fall and submitted by him 70
the federal budget bureau in Wash
ington.
The road improvements sponsored
by the secretary have been projected
by him with n view to facilitating mo-
tor travel, opening up new scenic
country to the tourist, making more
accessible sections of the parks now
reached by inferior roads, and the
general betterment, where most need
ed, of the national park highway sys-
tens.
The estimates submitted to the bud
get bureau call for the expenditure
on roads of 81, 900 over a period
OF three years. Of this sum $2,296,OOO
is sought for the next fiscal year,
according to official advice received
by Superintendent Horace III. Albright
of Yellowstone National park.
Provide for Both Parks
Yellowstone and Glacier national
parks are given full consideration in
Secretary Falls road program recon-
mendations, two of the principal road
projects being designed to tap new
scenic regions in the mountain terri
tory included within the boundaries
of those two parks.
The two roads in question are the
Bachler River road in the Yellow
stone and the Trans-mountain road
in Glacier.
The Bechler River road, which is
now being surveyed, will lead from
the proposed new entrance to the
park from Ashton, Idaho, to the Lone
Star Geyser Basin. 1t will be ap,,
proximately 80 miles in length n
will open to automobile travel a won
derfully picturesque region that has
seldom been traversed even by horse
back parties. The estimated cost of
the portion of the road within Yellow
stone park is S1S0,O00.00.
The Trans-mountain road, which is
already under construction, will con-
meet the east and west sides of Glacier
park. between which there is at pre-
sent no direct automobile connection.
1t will traverse the continental divide
through Logan pass.
VIII Tap Scenic Spots
The proposed new portion of this
road is 81 miles in length. When
completed it will connect the beauti-
full Mcdonald lake section with st.
Mary's lake on the east. 1t will also
supply the missing link in the National
Park-to-Park highway and, owing to
the grandeur of the mountain country
penetrated, will rank as n of the
greatest scenic highways Of the United
|. States. The estimated cost of this
road is $550,0OO.00.
Out of the total road appropriation
asked, $1,392,ODo.00 is to be devoted
TO the two parks. In addition to the
two roads mentioned the program
calls for other new construction and
a considerable milage Of reconstruction
improved surfacing and the like, both
in the Yellowstone and Glacier.
Besides the Bechler River project
the road program for Yellowstone in
Guides a new section of road between
Madison Junction and Old Faithful
along the Firehole River, to be known
as the Firehole Cutoff. This road
is one and one-fourth miles in length
and will substitute a scenic stretch
of easy grade for the present route
which takes through country OF lesser
scenic interest at a much sleeper
grade.
Other Projects Planned
The Yellowstone program also calls
for three and a fraction miles OF re-
construction and 10 miles of resurfac-
ing on various sections of the pre-
sent highways between the east en-
trance and Yellowstone Lake, and be-
tween the Grand Canyon and Nam
moth on the Tower Falls route.
The total appropriation sought Tor
Yellowstone is S300,000.00.
In Glacier park. besides the Trans
mountain road, appropriations are re-
commended for Al miles of reconstruc-
ton, 81 miles of widening and 40
miles of surfacing. the total amount
sought being $1,O91, 100000. The pro-
gram calls for the improvement of
sections of the North Fork, Bowman
Lake, Kintla Lake and Two Medicine
roads and the Blackfeet highway.
While Glacier park VIII receive near
ly four times as much money under
this budget if it is approved by the
Budget Bureau and Congress as 1el-
lowstone will receive, it deserves and
requires this greater proportion OF
money made available for the park
system, as it has practically no roads
within its boundaries while Yellow
stone has been provided for in the
/ past. However. il is not the inten-
ton of the National Park service tc
try to obtain money to develop every
| section of either park, the policy be
t ing to leave large areas of wilderness
in each park in their natural state
for all time to come.
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