Yellowstone National Park will open on time this spring to visitors coming through the south and east entrances in Wyoming.
Th announcement is the result of a successful local community fundraising effort. The Cody Chamber of Commerce recently announced it has raised $100,000 to enable plowing at the east entrance.
The Jackson town council approved on Monday to plow the south entrance of the park beginning April 8, at a cost of $71,000.
According to officials, the roads passing through the south and east entrances will be clear by the first weekend in May, assuming there are no major weather events between now and then.
Previously, the National Park Service announced the roads would open two weeks late, due to constraints in funding resulting from federal budget cuts. The delay would have resulted in a substantial cost to the local community, who depend on the tourist dollars brought in by park visitors.
Yellowstone National Park and the National Park Service work with local communities to promote historic preservation, civic engagement and outdoor recreation programs. There are also activities for education and recreation that bring tourists every year.
Among the programs, there is a science-learning center with field institutes, including the Teton Science School and Yellowstone Association Institute, which teaches people about the archaeology, ethnography and general history of the park area.
The park also contains museums, which include the Vernon Collection, Trailside Museum, Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center, as well as the Grand Teton Archives.
There are also science and management workshops offered for those more technically inclined, such as one integrating science and park resource management in Chico Hot Springs.
Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 and was America's first national park. It contains grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk. The park also contains and preserves the majority of the world's geysers.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
