
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 22, 1994                   TAG: 9402220157
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

THIS YEAR, PARK GATES WILL REOPEN

When the ice covering much of Virginia's Shenandoah National Park melts and spring comes, most campgrounds will open.

It was different last year, when park officials closed two campsites, opened Big Meadows campground late and halved the number of visitor programs because of budget cuts.

They took those steps after being rebuffed in their original money-saving proposal to close Skyline Drive, which runs for 100 miles through the center of the park, from December to June. The local tourism industry and the state congressional delegation objected.

The recently announced budget for the current fiscal year is up 7.1 percent, to about $8.3 million, and "we're in good shape for this year," said Shenandoah spokesman Sandy Rives.

The park's two visitor centers will open March 25. Big Meadows campground, which opened on Memorial Day last year, will open March 31. Park officials have not decided whether to reopen Matthews Arm campground and Dundo campground this year.

The full range of visitor programs will be restored, Rives said, and the park will be able to fill many of the 20 jobs that have gone vacant for lack of money.

"We're very pleased," Rives said, "but we do have these long-term maintenance needs that we continue to be concerned about." Shenandoah has a $12 million maintenance backlog.

by CNB