Chipping In
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| Photo from County 10 |
Because of the sequestration, the NPS did not have the funds to operate snow plows, so Wyoming's Governor, Matt Mead offered State snowplows and the personnel, if the communities surrounding the Park could collect enough money to run them.
Toursits are the lifeblood for these communities, so merchants and private individuals went into a fund-raising mode and raised the required money. According to County 10, it costs up to $30,000 a day to plow the roads in the Park.
The roads are being plowed, the Park will open on time, the tourists will come, and the communities will thrive - all this because people chipped in and helped in various ways. Wyomingites didn't sit around and complain: they took action. That, my friends, is how problems should be solved in this country - not by pointing fingers and placing blame, but by rolling up sleeves and getting to work.
If you visit Yellowstone National Park this year via the East or South Gates, stop and thank the citizens of the surrounding communities for making it possible.
More photos and information can be found here.
Update: April 27, 2013
The final push has been made, and the Park will be opened by May 1, 2013. The WYDOT crews plowed their sections and for less than was originally budgeted. Read about it here.
Update: April 30, 2013
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| Mission Accomplished Park Service crews meet WYDOT crews source |
That is quite a snowblower!
ReplyDeleteIf more communities would do what yours did instead of sitting back complaining, this world would get a lot more done. Kudos to your governor.
Oh, we used the East and South gates last year when we visited. I honestly loved Cody Wyoming and would love to go back again and just hang out there. g
ReplyDeleteAgreed! We have spent many a winter vacation in Yellowstone over the past 30 years. Now that we are gone, I would like to come and visit it in the summer. Go figure, when we lived out there, I was never interested in Yellowstone in the summer.
ReplyDeleteRock On, Area Code 307!!!
ReplyDeleteBoo hiss to Obama Administration who instructed departments to make the sequestration cuts as painful as possible
But, more importantly, way to go, Wyoming!!!!
Well said. I'm so proud of our Wyoming citizens, getting it done in the best possible way.
ReplyDeleteHooray for private enterprise and the governor who made it possible. Clearly, the solutions to our problems are NOT in Washington.
ReplyDeleteGood job, Wyoming! I've seen these machines in action, and they are impressive.
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