Cruising The Road Less Traveled (NAPSA)—People whovisit one of the country’s 385 National Parks may get some historic help staying off the beaten path. Glacier National Park is a 1,583 square mile stretch of land on the continental divide in Montana. The park has 37 glaciers, 653 lakes and countless species of Se fish, birds and other wildlife— including bald eagles, grizzly bears and gray wolves. In the past, most visitors to Glacier explored it in the park’s Red Buses. The entire 1930s-era Red Bus fleet, however, was recently re- tired because of concerns associated with metal fatigue and structural integrity. For many, the Red Buses served as icons of Glacier National Park and arestill linked to the park’s history and identity today. In Novemberof 2000, a unique partnership was struck between the Ford Motor Company, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, the official non-profit partner of the National Park Service, that will bring the buses back. The deal involves the auto maker refurbishing Glacier National Park’s historic red touring buses andinstalling engines that will run on cleaner burning propanefuel. The buses are expected to be rated ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle). Currently, LPG (liquified petroleum gas) has the potential to reduce smog-producing emissions by 67 percent below that whichis allowed bylaw. Visitors to Glacier National Park will see the sights from refurbished, historical red tour buses. “The National Park Service wants to be a model for sustainable transportation. We are going to help them achieve that by addressing congestion and conservation problems with alternative transportation methods such as electric vehicles and hybrids,” says Mary Culler, governmental affairs managerat Ford. Jim Maddey, president of the National Park Foundation, said, “This partnership with Ford is a great example of what can be accomplished when the public and private sector work together. The Glacier National Park experience will be even better, thanks to Ford’s generosity.” “These buses link a wonderful transportation experience of the past with possibilities for what transportation can be in the future,” says Culler. The buses will be back in the park the summer of 2002. For more information visit www.nationalparks.org.
