Meanwhile, she said the the park has set up a "make-shift auditorium" to show a video about the fossil wall. And the monument has moved many fossils and replicas to an outdoor visitor center. It has also developed new exhibits and is stressing other recreational opportunities within the monument.

Timpanogos Cave

Superintendent Denis Davis said that in recent years, "we have been in maintenance mode" at the national monument, trying to maintain and not cut services.

He said that fees paid by visitors "pay for four out of five cave tours that we offer. Our base monies pay for only about one of every five. Our fee program allows us to maintain an acceptable level of tours."

On busy days, he said, the park will sell out cave tours and some unhappy visitors are turned away. The park hopes to open cave tours this year by Mother's Day (May 11), but needs the deep snow on the mountain path to the cave to melt.

He said the monument's visitor center burned down more than a decade ago, and it has been using a double-wide trailer since then. "It was expected to be replaced. But we're still working on plans for that," he said.

"The way it works is the NPS has a block of money for major construction, and we have to compete for those dollars against other parks in the system. We haven't gotten money for a new visitor center yet."

Cedar Breaks

Superintendent Paul Roelandt said that from 2003 to 2007, budgets reduced staffing for visitor services at the national monument. Shortfalls led to such things as eliminating a park guide, a maintenance laborer and cutting hours for other staff.

But he said centennial initiative funding this year "enabled us to restore our seasonal positions and visitor services to our 2003 service level. In addition, we will for the first time have a base-funded, seasonal law-enforcement position."

Roelandt said the park has been making some progress in addressing its deferred maintenance backlog, but "a very significant amount of work still needs to be accomplished."

He added his monument "has seen our ability to serve our visitors and protect park resources shrink as energy, transportation, materials and other operational costs have grown. Over the past five years, we rely more and more on volunteers and student interns to help us maintain a minimum level of visitor services."

Golden Spike

Acting Superintendent Doug Crossen said the budget for this national historic site, where the transcontinental railroad was completed, is just now where it should have been 10 years ago, so some recent budget increases may be deceptive.

In short, the park in recent years has gone from "poor" to "good," he said.