Glacier will see $17.5 million in stimulus money

Several projects in Glacier National Park will get a multi-million dollar shot in the arm from the recently passed economic stimulus bill.

The largest allocation, $15.6 million, is for continued work on the Many Glacier Hotel. The Park will also see an additional $1.9 million for trails, backcountry campsites, bathroom remodels and for rehabiltation of the historic West Lakes Ranger building at Park Headquarters.

"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," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said. "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 Many Glacier Hotel work will focus on plumbing and electrical upgrades to the structure. In some cases, the wiring is actually bare wires on insulators. The upgrades to bathrooms will make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, said spokeswoman Amy Vanderbilt.

Glacier's full budget picture for 2009-10 isn't completed, but Vanderbilt said the base budget for the Park will see a boost this year from $13.5 million to $13.7 million. That hike funds pay increases and restores some funding in interpretive staff.

What isn't known yet is how much the Sun Road project could receive in federal stimulus dollars. It's a 'shovel ready" project, but the money will be funneled through the Federal Highway Administration.

The hope is that the funding will come in between $20 million and $30 million, which could allow Glacier to wrap up work in the alpine section of the highway by 2013.