The budget is certain to ruffle the feathers of conservationists because Norton called for making public lands more accessible for oil and gas development. In Utah, the future of those lands is hotly debated with environmentalists calling for wilderness protection and oil and gas companies seeking exploration leases.

The battle over oil and gas development in the Tavaputs Plateau in east-central Utah is likely to be lost in a bigger battle over exploring for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Bush wants to begin selling leases there by 2007.

"This proposal will help ensure energy supplies and sustain a strong economy to benefit all Americans," Norton said.

Norton, one of the few Cabinet members to remain for the second term, also signaled a theme common to the first Bush administration: Communities and groups that want federal money for conservation will have to pony up their own fair share of matching funds and volunteer labor.

The budget for these programs, called cost-share grants, will see an increase of $25.7 million to a total of $44.7 million.

Cost-share grants partially funded the initial two years of survey in now-famous Range Creek in central Utah.

"These programs enable our agencies to work with neighboring communities, landowners and other citizens to achieve common conservation goals," the department said in a prepared statement.

The Bush budget also calls for budget increases to promote heritage tourism and to preserve historic structures and resources. In all, the budget proposes to spend $1.3 billion for recreation programs to improve visitor services and access to recreation areas.

Programs on the chopping block included "terminating funding" for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a savings of $90 million. Other programs that would be axed include the Wildland Rural Fire Assistance Program and the Jobs in the Woods Program.

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E-mail: spang@desnews.com