A new face for
the Quarry
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It’s been 100 years since paleontologist Earl Douglass discovered 160 million-year-old bones in Dinosaur National Monument’s fossil quarry.
And, three years since the emergency shutdown of the quarry’s visitor center for health and safety reasons.
To dinosaur devotees, rebuilding the visitor center has moved at a glacial pace.
“Not so,” says Mary Risser, Dinosaur National Monument superintendent. “As soon as we closed the building, we started taking all the steps needed to protect the fossils and to complete planning so we could begin construction as soon as funds were available.”
Quarry re-construction, once just a line item in the federal budget, was moved to seventh place on the project list with the infusion of stimulus money.
“Funding became available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA),” the superintendent says, adding that the quarry tops the list of nearly 800 projects to receive $750 million in ARRA monies.
Planning for the quarry rehab was in the works for nearly a decade, but all that changed with the closure. Superintendent Risser explains that federal compliance was completed last fall and construction plans will be readied this fall.
“Groundbreaking will be either March or April next year,” she adds, noting the changes to initial plans. “Once it became clear that that they couldn’t save the historic integrity of the visitor center,” the project morphed from rehabilitation to replacement of the building.
Changes meant that the wall’s exhibit hall would have to be constructed separately from the visitor center.
“The redesign will enhance visitor safety, access and visibility of the wall” she said. “We anticipate it will improve visitor experience at Dinosaur National Monument.”
Currently, visitors may walk a dinosaur trail from the wall parking lot to the lower visitor center, which has resulted in a surge of backcountry interest at the monument.
“Separability has allowed us to highlight some of the other resources of the monument like the river corridors, the ancient petroglyphs, Josie Bassett’s historic cabin and so on,” Risser says.
“As diversified as we’d like our economy to be, tourism has suffered,” says Uintah County commissioner Mark Raymond. “Dinosaur National Monument is an important aspect of our tourist draw. And, remains an important local attractions i for Basin residents as well.”
Design improvements will also enhance building upkeep and the energy efficiency of the new structures.
“This project will implement sustainable green technologies,” she says. “And, since the project will be contracted out, we anticipate that it will help put money into the local and regional economies.”
The National Park Service will announce the opportunity to bid on the visitor center construction at the website www.fedbizopps.gov this fall. Award will be made in early winter with project commencement as early as next spring. Construction is anticipated to take about a year with the reopening of the quarry exhibit hall and visitor center in the summer or fall of 2011.
“We are grateful that this recovery effort will enable us to accomplish this critical project that will protect our resources and enhance our ability to serve the public,” said Risser.
mbernard@vernal.com
And, three years since the emergency shutdown of the quarry’s visitor center for health and safety reasons.
To dinosaur devotees, rebuilding the visitor center has moved at a glacial pace.
“Not so,” says Mary Risser, Dinosaur National Monument superintendent. “As soon as we closed the building, we started taking all the steps needed to protect the fossils and to complete planning so we could begin construction as soon as funds were available.”
Quarry re-construction, once just a line item in the federal budget, was moved to seventh place on the project list with the infusion of stimulus money.
“Funding became available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA),” the superintendent says, adding that the quarry tops the list of nearly 800 projects to receive $750 million in ARRA monies.
Planning for the quarry rehab was in the works for nearly a decade, but all that changed with the closure. Superintendent Risser explains that federal compliance was completed last fall and construction plans will be readied this fall.
“Groundbreaking will be either March or April next year,” she adds, noting the changes to initial plans. “Once it became clear that that they couldn’t save the historic integrity of the visitor center,” the project morphed from rehabilitation to replacement of the building.
Changes meant that the wall’s exhibit hall would have to be constructed separately from the visitor center.
“The redesign will enhance visitor safety, access and visibility of the wall” she said. “We anticipate it will improve visitor experience at Dinosaur National Monument.”
Currently, visitors may walk a dinosaur trail from the wall parking lot to the lower visitor center, which has resulted in a surge of backcountry interest at the monument.
“Separability has allowed us to highlight some of the other resources of the monument like the river corridors, the ancient petroglyphs, Josie Bassett’s historic cabin and so on,” Risser says.
“As diversified as we’d like our economy to be, tourism has suffered,” says Uintah County commissioner Mark Raymond. “Dinosaur National Monument is an important aspect of our tourist draw. And, remains an important local attractions i for Basin residents as well.”
Design improvements will also enhance building upkeep and the energy efficiency of the new structures.
“This project will implement sustainable green technologies,” she says. “And, since the project will be contracted out, we anticipate that it will help put money into the local and regional economies.”
The National Park Service will announce the opportunity to bid on the visitor center construction at the website www.fedbizopps.gov this fall. Award will be made in early winter with project commencement as early as next spring. Construction is anticipated to take about a year with the reopening of the quarry exhibit hall and visitor center in the summer or fall of 2011.
“We are grateful that this recovery effort will enable us to accomplish this critical project that will protect our resources and enhance our ability to serve the public,” said Risser.
mbernard@vernal.com
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