National Guard troops will set up in the Split Mountain Campground to tackle deferred maintenance at the national monument/NPS file
National Guard troops will set up camp in Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado for the next few years to tackle deferred maintenance projects in the park.
The agreement between the national monument and the Utah National Guard focuses on construction-related training activities that will address deferred maintenance needs and improve the park experience for visitors. The partnership is being realized under the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training program, which provides training opportunities that increase guard deployment readiness while providing services that benefit American communities and public lands.
The first partnership activity is to take place in the monument from June 6-15. The guard will set up camp in the Split Mountain Campground and execute several construction projects in the monument in that time frame. Projects to be completed include: rehabilitation of a historic Comfort Station in the Split Mountain Campground, to include improving accessibility for those with disabilities; replacement of several cattle guards throughout the monument; rehabilitation of the Rainbow Park entrance road (tentative); and fabrication of several road gates to be installed at a later date.
While providing first-class training for the guard, these activities should also improve public safety and enhance facility conditions for monument visitors. Monument funds, much of them provided through visitor fees, will pay for material costs of these projects. No construction costs will be incurred, resulting in significant NPS cost savings.
The Split Mountain Campground will be closed from June 1 – 20 to make way for guard work on the Comfort Station. During this time, no camping will be allowed at Split Mountain, day-use picnicking in the campground will be curtailed, and River Trail access from the northern trailhead will be closed. River Trail access from the southern trailhead at the Green River Campground will remain open. All closed locations will be reopened on June 21.
In addition to closure of the Split Mountain Campground, visitor impacts may also include temporary travel delays for road-related work. During the time of the guard’s presence, visitors may observe guard crews at work and travelling through the monument in military vehicles. The guard will not carry arms or ammunition while working in the monument.
While guard activities are imminent for 2022, planning is underway for 2023. In August 2023 the guard will be rehabilitating and expanding the Deerlodge Boat Ramp on the Colorado side of the monument. The Deerlodge Boat Ramp is where river recreationists put in for multi-day river trips on the Yampa River through the spectacular canyons of the monument. The boat ramp is badly eroded and undersized. The guard project will make the facility worthy of the unparalleled experience it facilitates as rafts embark on the Yampa River.
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Comments
If only we had 40 billion on hand to fix OUR land
Is this the Onion? World class training? Are you kidding me? I was a trail worker for the NPS. Other than physical fitness the activities these soldiers will be doing have no basis for anything related to combat.
What they are going to do is be laborers..
This stinks to high heaven
Just because it's not combat does not mean it's not training. Some guard units have a construction emphasis-this looks like one of those units.
I spent time in both the Guard and the Reserves, as a medic. Turns out that troops needed my services no matter what their job. Others from MPs to Cooks to truck drivers and more all train for real.
You are paying them anyway and they have to to something. Why not have them help the Parks. Hmmm, maybe we should make those that get all the giveaways work for the Parks as well. Would either improve the Parks or reduce the giveaways.
the amount of money they will be paid for this work is far beyond what it would cost if they just paid an NPS crew to do the work. And no- I do not think trail work is some kind of training.
And if it is- then where are my endless benefits?
Chris - I see no indication they are being payed anything beyond the pay they would get sitting in a barracks. Do you know differently?
ecbuck
This is the national guard. beyond the two weeks a year of training they do and or deployment these are regular civillians who are not on depoloyment and not "sitting in a barrarcks"