WASHINGTON (AP) - The wildfire that burned hundreds of homes in Los Alamos, N.M., raged out of control in part because National Park Service officials did not use bulldozers and chainsaws to contain the blaze, congressional investigators reported Thursday.

The General Accounting Office suggested the Park Service revise its policy that firefighting efforts be the cheapest and least environmentally damaging.

The report said the Park Service ``generally agreed'' with the recommendation. It was not immediately clear whether the agency would change its policy. Park Service spokesmen did not return telephone messages left Thursday evening.

The Park Service set a fire on May 4 to clear underbrush in Bandelier National Park. When that fire started getting out of control, Park Service officials chose to set other fires to try to contain it.

One of the containment fires got out of control, becoming the Cerro Grande fire that charred nearly 48,000 acres, destroyed more than 200 homes and burned parts of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, America's first nuclear weapons lab. Damage estimates have ranged as high as $1 billion; President Clinton signed a $661 million fire compensation package last week.

Using chainsaws and bulldozers to make a fire break ``was not chosen because it would have been inconsistent with Park Service policy calling for resource damage to be minimized,'' said the report written by environmental expert Barry Hill of the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress.

``The existing Park Service policy requiring fire managers to protect resources while trying to suppress a wildfire should be revised in instances like Cerro Grande,'' Hill wrote.

``In these cases, where the threat of a prescribed fire's getting out of control poses direct and serious public safety risks, there should be no question that fire suppression should be the top priority.''

The Park Service has halted all prescribed fires in the West because of the New Mexico fiasco.

Bandelier Superintendent Roy Weaver retired this month and apologized to Los Alamos citizens for approving the original fire. Park Service officials have not determined whether anyone will be disciplined.

WASHINGTON, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In an action designed to head off destruction to national parks by damaging recreational uses, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) testified before the House Parks Subcommittee this morning to help define the term ``access'' as it applies to visitation to our national parks. The conservation group faced off with representatives from the motorized recreation industry over issues of snowmobiles, personal watercraft (PWCs), and over-flights within the national parks and seashores. NPCA commended the National Park Service for doing its best to accommodate the desires of as many visitors as possible while maintaining the integrity of the parks.

``We don't play basketball inside the Lincoln Memorial,'' said Thomas Kiernan, NPCA president. ``It would simply be inappropriate and disrespectful. National parks are not amusement parks. Decisions to allow certain activities in national parks should be based on whether the activity preserves the ecological integrity, natural and historical context, interpretive values, and unique experiences contained within the National Park System.''

More than 287 million people visited the parks in 1999. It is perhaps the most popular American institution. The National Park System is four times more popular than Major League Baseball, which had just 70 million fans last year. Having access to national parks means access to all of the elements that make the parks special. That includes clean air, natural sounds, undisturbed wildlife, and the scent of woods and flowers.

``The presence of the motorized machines that the subcommittee is discussing today denies access to these features to all other visitors,'' said Kevin Collins, legislative representative for NPCA. ``A wide majority of Americans know that the real concern is not about 'access' to national parks; it's about controlling the excesses that endanger the parks.''

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. House committee Wednesday, backed by top Republican leaders, gave the owners of Stiltsville a big boost in their battle with the National Park Service over the fate of the remaining seven structures in Biscayne Bay.

At the prompting of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Miami Republican whose district includes the rustic homes, the House Resources Committee approved the latest version of a Stiltsville bill. To preserve the structures, it would take 1,200 acres of submerged land from Biscayne National Park around the homes and add 1,200 acres to the park from a channel farther west in the bay.

``We want to negotiate something with the Park Service, and this will give us a lot more leverage,'' said Ros-Lehtinen, who added that she would hold off seeking full House approval to give the owners and federal officials a chance to work out a new deal.

The vote came after a flurry of lobbying that set House leaders against the Interior Department and its environmental allies. It has also caused an unusual rift between many state and Miami-Dade leaders who favor saving the buildings and Rep. Peter Deutsch, a Broward Democrat whose district includes much of the park.

GREENWICH, Conn., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Never forget a face? If that's the case, can you name the four presidents whose faces are carved on Mount Rushmore? If Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and (Teddy) Roosevelt don't come immediately to mind, you're not alone. According to the Unilever National Parks Survey, only 25% of Americans surveyed could name all four correctly and another 25% couldn't name even one.

How about the number of national parks in the U.S.? Half of those surveyed think there are 100 or less, when in fact there are 379 national parks in 49 states. And even with all those parks to choose from, just over one-third (39%) of Americans surveyed could name a national park other than the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite. When asked to name three other parks, only 8% can do so. On a brighter note, more than half (59%) know that Old Faithful is located in Yellowstone National Park.

The Unilever National Parks Survey reveals that many Americans are unaware of the many national treasures across the country.

With more than $4 million in donations and promotional support to the National Park Foundation, Unilever's Recycling at Work program has donated sustainable 100% recycled plastic lumber to 51 national parks representing 12 million plastic containers recycled, rather than landfilled. Through Unilever's continued commitment to help America's national parks, they are sponsoring a competitive grants program, which will fund priority projects throughout the national park system. Unilever will provide funding for a new visitor education center at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.

WASHINGTON (AP) - At Yosemite National Park in California, defective sprinklers meant to protect buildings from fires - including structures where workers live - haven't been replaced despite a national recall.

At Prince William Forest Park in Virginia, the 115 wooden cabins lack smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. And the 250 buildings in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park in California have never had formal fire-safety inspections, despite 41 structural blazes since 1988.

Such lapses in fire prevention efforts are common nationwide, says a General Accounting Office study that criticized the National Park Service.

``Structural fire safety efforts in national parks are not effective,'' GAO official Jim Wells told a House Budget task force hearing Wednesday.

Among the complaints at six parks visited were fire extinguishers left unchecked for years, overnight accommodations not inspected by certified safety officials and cabins without smoke detectors.

``It saddens me that despite an annual budget of $1 billion to operate its parks, the Park Service cannot manage to keep their structures safe from fire,'' said Rep. George Radanovich, R-Calif.

Park officials didn't dispute the findings, but said they expect to coordinate plans nationally by September about how to meet safety standards. The service created a post in Boise, Idaho, to coordinate fire-safety plans and budgeted $6.6 million during the next five years to install fire alarms and upgrade fire hydrants in 46 projects.

``The report offers us an opportunity to begin the development of a comprehensive structural fire program,'' said Maureen Finnerty, associate director of park operations at the Interior Department.

With 30,000 buildings in 379 parks, the service is the country's third largest landlord behind the Defense Department and U.S. Postal Service. Despite publicity for wildland fires such as Yellowstone National Park in 1988, there have been more than 1,400 building fires at national parks since 1990.

But the service never singled out firefighting in its budgets, leaving local managers to develop their own safety plans until recent years.

``We have known for quite some time that the programs needed a close looking at,'' said Ed Duncan, fire management officer at Yosemite. ``There is never enough (money) to cover all the needs that we have.''

At Yosemite, officials missed a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission deadline to have a company replace its defective sprinkler heads that sometimes fail to respond when heated. The park still qualifies for replacement parts, but its own workers will have to install the heads, Duncan said.

Another difficulty facing park officials is the need to upgrade historic buildings with modern firefighting equipment. The 123-room Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite is getting a new smoke detection system this year to replace its 20-year-old version. But officials plan to hire a special contractor for advice on how to install sprinklers in the hotel, a historic national landmark.

Jody Lyle, a spokesman for Sequoia, said many park buildings are small sheds that the public doesn't visit. She noted that even modern smoke detectors and sprinklers didn't prevent a fire this year in the new John Muir Lodge at her park.

``Everywhere that a visitor is going to be in the parks, whether it's a gift shop or a lodge or public building, there are smoke detectors,'' she said. ``We would love to see an increase in funding so we could fix some of these problems.''

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a victory for President Clinton, the Senate narrowly rejected an effort Tuesday by Western senators to bar him from protecting any more federal land by designating it as a national monument.

The 50-49 defeat of the proposal by Senate Majority Whip Don Nickles, R-Okla., underlined the sensitivity that environmental issues have in an election year. Of the six GOP senators who voted ``no,'' five are up for re-election in November.

Clinton has added nearly 2 million acres to the country's national monuments so far this year, virtually all of it in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington state. He has done so, over the opposition of many Westerners, using a 1906 law that lets him create national monuments without the consent of Congress.

``I happen to be in favor of national monuments,'' Nickles said. ``But I think we should have local input.''

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., contrasted Nickles' proposal with the actions of President Theodore Roosevelt, who led early 20th century efforts to create national parks.

``The party of Teddy Roosevelt officially abandons its commitment to his environmental legacy,'' Durbin said of Tuesday's vote.

Opponents of new national monuments have been motivated, in part, by rumors that after the November elections, Clinton may designate part or all of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a new monument. That could be a major impediment to the long-fought effort by oil companies to begin drilling on the refuge's oil-rich coastline.

Earlier, in the face of a likely defeat, Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., abandoned his effort to block a National Park Service ban on snowmobiling in nearly all national parks, monuments and recreation areas. Thomas will try working out a compromise in coming weeks, a spokesman said.

The administration has said the ban, issued last April, is aimed at reducing noise and environmental damage in the parks. It has been opposed by the recreation industry.

The national monument restriction was offered as an amendment to a $15.5 billion measure financing the Interior Department and federal cultural programs in the coming fiscal year. The overall bill was approved 97-2, with Sens. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., and Russell Feingold, D-Wis., voting no. The ailing Sen. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., did not vote.

The House approved a $14.6 billion version of the bill last month containing no language on snowmobiles or national monuments. House opponents of Clinton's monument designations lost an effort to virtually undo all the monuments he has named so far this year.

The House and Senate versions of the bill face an administration veto threat because they provide less than Clinton wants for parkland purchases, some programs for Indians, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

An amendment offered by Senator Nickles would have undermined the
President's authority to protect beautiful American landscapes by
prohibiting the designation of any new National Monuments unless
authorized by Congress.

"When enemies of the environment tried to curtail the President's
ability to protect our unique American Heritage, 50 Senators stood up
to defend these places for future generations to enjoy," said Melanie
Griffin, Director of Sierra Club's Land Protection Program. "We
applaud them for preserving threatened lands for our families and our
future."

Despite the Senate's victory in killing the Nickles amendment, the
Interior Appropriations bill still includes anti-environmental riders
that will:

- Prohibit environmental review of grazing permits that are due to be
renewed;
- Block funding for federal efforts to combat global warming;
- Halt cooperative management and protection of America's Rivers by
denying funds for the Heritage River Initiative Program.
- Delay the National Forest Planning Process;
- Block action to protect the Mark Twain National Forest from
destructive lead mining operations;
- Block establishment of the proposed Kankakee National Wildlife
Refuge in Illinois and Indiana;
- Delay protection for Colorado's' White River National Forest by
delaying completion of its forest plan;
- Delay implementation of recovery efforts for the gray wolf and
grizzly bear;
- Prevent even the study of restoration efforts for Glen Canyon and
the Colorado River;
- Exempt the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire from the
Forest Service's Roadless Initiative;
- Extend a controversial program to charge fees for the public to
recreate in their public lands.

"Anti-environmentalists in the Senate are trying to pull one over on
the public by undermining efforts to defend our land, forests, air and
water," said Griffin. "The Senate leadership is disregarding
Americans' desire to protect our public lands by passing
anti-environmental riders that only benefit polluters and special
interests."

Madam President, As we debate this bill to provide funding for the Department of the Interior in the next fiscal year, I would like discuss an issue that is of increasing concern to me: our under-investment in our national parks.

There are 379 national parks in the United States and U.S. territories, covering over 80 million acres. These parks provide Americans with an opportunity to enjoy activities such as hiking, camping, white water rafting, or horseback riding in some of the most beautiful sites in the world. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in my home state of Tennessee is often referred to as the crown jewel of the national park system. And for good reason.

But one can't help but be concerned about what is happening in our parks today. I've seen first hand the problems associated with air pollution, traffic congestion, and invasive species in our parks. Folks come to the Smokies to escape the big city and breathe the clean mountain air. Unfortunately, there are too many days now when the air quality in the Smokies is worse than in major cities. Already this year, the park has recorded 13 days with unhealthy ozone levels. Who would believe that visiting a national park could be hazardous to your health?
Air pollution is also diminishing the experience of visitors in the park. People visit the Smokies for the magnificent mountain vistas.

Unfortunately, the pollution reduces their visibility not only by affecting how far they can see from a scenic overlook, but also how well they can see. Ground level ozone washes out the bright colors of the leaves in the Fall and the flowers in the Spring. These air quality problems have landed the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the list of 10 most endangered national parks compiled by the National Parks and Conservation Association.

Another major threat facing many of our national parks, including the Smokies, is damage from invasive species. Organisms that are not native to parks are finding their way in and are killing wildlife. Virtually all of the frasier firs on top of Klingman's Dome in the Smokies are dead. At first glance, it would appear that they were killed by fire, but that's not the case. These trees were killed by an organism which isn't native to the Smokies and has no natural predator there.

These and similar problems afflict our entire national park system. That is why I'm pleased that the appropriations bill before us today recognizes these serious threats by providing $11 million for the National Park Service's Natural Resource Challenge. This money will help fund air and water quality studies in our parks. It will also fund efforts to address the problems caused by non-native invasive species. I thank the Senators from Washington and West Virginia for their attention to these needs.

I'm also growing increasingly concerned that our national parks are showing the wear and tear of neglect. Each year our parks are host to more and more visitors. In 1998, almost 300 million people visited our national parks. Ten million of those visitors went to the Smokies, making it the most visited national park in the country. That's more visitors than the Grand Canyon and Yosemite combined - which rank second and third in terms of park visitation.

We in Tennessee and North Carolina welcome these visitors to our beautiful mountains. National parks are here to be used and enjoyed. But our parks are laboring under their popularity. One might say our parks are being loved to death. We must face up to the stresses to infrastructure that result from increased visitation. More visitors cause more wear and tear on the trails, campgrounds and roads. Growing visitation also requires higher staffing levels in the parks since more visitors mean more stranded hikers that need to be rescued, more comfort stations that need to be cleaned, and more trash that needs to be picked up.

Unfortunately, park budgets have not kept pace with increases in visitation. The National Park Service estimates that there is currently a $4.3 million maintenance backlog. Park Service staff are struggling to do more with fewer resources.

Fortunately, they have been able to rely on a number of organizations for help such as friends groups, the National Park Foundation and other cooperating associations. These organizations raise money to fund maintenance and educational projects within the parks.

I'm proud that the Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is held up as the model friends group for the country. Over the last 7 years, the Friends of the Smokies has raised $6 million - $1.5 million last year alone. This money has come from donation boxes in the park, license plate sales, telethons and direct contributions. And, it is used for a variety of projects. For example, the Friends just produced a new orientation film to welcome park visitors. The Friends funded the restoration of the historic Mount Cammerer Fire Tower. And, the Friends help organize and manage volunteer projects in the park. When a team of volunteers goes out to work on a trail, it's the Friends of the Smokies that buys the materials needed to do the job. The hard work and generosity on the part of the Friends of the Smokies is critical to assisting the Park Service officials maintain our valuable natural resource.

Just as important as the financial contributions to our national parks are the generous donations of time. This year alone, volunteers will donate almost 75,000 hours valued at $1.1 million to run the visitor centers and help maintain trails and campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Because the Smokies was a gift from the residents of Tennessee and North Carolina to the federal government, citizens living near the park have a strong sense of ownership. They want to volunteer to take care of their park.

Several years ago, Congress also recognized the need to increase resources to our national park system, and we passed legislation to provide the Park Service with new sources of funding for maintenance projects. This new law allows national parks to retain most of the entrance and other fees they may charge, and use that money for visitor services. Fee revenue can be used to fund maintenance projects or to pay seasonal employees, but it cannot be used to fund basic operations. This year, Smokies' fees will generate $1.9 million over and above the park's $13.2 million annual appropriated budget.

Fee revenue, volunteer hours and donations are critical to keeping our parks running, but they are just not enough. Without an adequate operations budget and enough permanent full-time staff, the Park Service lacks the capability to handle the generosity of groups like the Friends of the Smokies.

Again, I compliment my colleagues from Washington and West Virginia for recognizing the most pressing needs of our national park system by providing a substantial increase in the Park Service's basic operations budget in this bill. The bill before us includes over $1.4 billion for the National Park Service. That's an increase of more than $80 million over FY 2000.

But as impressive a job as the managers have done here today, I'm sure they would both agree with me when I say that Congress still must do better for our national parks. I believe that the federal government has a fundamental responsibility to ensure the protection of these natural resources for the enjoyment of both the current and future generations. 

But we are not meeting that responsibility fully. We must provide our park officials with adequate resources to maintain the trails and campgrounds. We must give them better tools to combat threats like air pollution. As Congress debates what to do with the projected budget surplus, I think we should start by determining whether government is meeting its fundamental responsibilities now. If we see that we are neglecting certain responsibilities, then we need to make fulfilling those obligations a priority. I believe that increasing our investment in our national parks is a priority. I intend to work closely with my colleagues in the years to come to ensure that Congress provides the funding necessary to protect our precious natural resources for the enjoyment of my grandchildren and their grandchildren.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 13, 2000--Driven by their love for the National Parks and strong concern for the health of America's great natural treasures, a distinguished and diverse roster of companies and organizations have proudly joined forces to support ``PhotoPoint's One For The Parks'' campaign to save the National Parks.

Fox Home Entertainment, Mattel Inc., The Parks Company, National Park Conservation Association (NPCA), The National Park Trust, National Park Academy of the Arts, and Amazing Mail are all ``One For The Parks'' and are actively supporting the campaign's call for 1 percent of the growing federal surplus to be spent on repairing and restoring America's endangered National Parks.

Spearheaded by PhotoPoint.com, the largest online free photo-sharing community, and backed by nationally known sponsors, ``One For The Parks'' makes it easy for Americans to use photos of their favorite National Parks to send their voice to Washington as e-postcards delivered to the President and the U.S. Senate.

The e-postcards will feature the sender's personal message lobbying their elected representatives to use the federal surplus to eliminate the backlog of repairs and maintenance causing what the NY Times has called a ``crisis'' in the national parks.

A distinguished and diverse roster of companies and organizations have endorsed ``PhotoPoint's One For The Parks'' campaign, and many have agreed to conduct outreach efforts to their own customers and constituencies on its behalf.

Thomas Kiernan, president of the NPCA, the largest park support group in the United States, applauds the strong ambition of the campaign. ``The National Parks Conservation Association supports the `One For The Parks' proposal to apply 1 percent of the non-Social Security federal budget surplus to pay for the park maintenance backlog until it is eliminated,'' said Kiernan.

``Anyone can help with this program by taking the simple step of sending photos to PhotoPoint.com's `Send A Photo - Save the Parks' campaign. The power of the Web will allow participants at no cost to send national park photo messages to elected officials, urging them to make 1 percent of the federal budget surplus available to the parks.''

Adam Werbach, former national president of the Sierra Club, is one of the best-known conservationists of his generation. A regular guest on ABC's ``Politically Incorrect,'' Werbach has been described as ``a fixture on lists of the most influential Americans under 30,'' by Rolling Stone magazine.

``Saving the National Parks this summer is an outrageously ambitious idea, and telling the President and the Senate that we want 1 percent of the federal surplus, to do so is downright presumptuous -- which is why I'm endorsing `One For The Parks,''' said Werbach.

``The campaign's innovative use of the Web to send e-photos of the National Parks we want repaired and restored will allow millions of high school and college students to use their computers to make their voices heard in Washington on behalf of the parks they own equally with people of all ages.''

Fox Consumer Products is spreading the ``One For the Parks'' word through product inserts in its VHS and DVD Summer releases. Patricia Wyatt, president of Fox Consumer Products, feels the campaign is an investment in our children's future. ```One For The Parks' just makes sense,'' said Wyatt.

``America's greatest treasures, our National Parks, are desperately in need of help and, just 1 percent of the surplus is a sound investment for our children, their children and future generations.''

Mattel Inc. is helping the cause by showcasing information about ``One For The Parks'' to its 10,000 employees in both their printed weekly newsletter and on their intranet site, the Wave. ``If you're lucky enough to share a visit to a National Park with a child, or you remember your own family's visits as a kid, then you know why we at Mattel are `One For The Parks,' and why we're asking others to join us,'' said Phil Jackson, vice president, Games and Puzzles at Mattel.

``We look at kids and see the future, both of our own company and that of the National Parks. If we don't take the responsibility to make sure kids have the same wondrous outdoor opportunities we had when we were young, then who will? Investing 1 percent of the surplus to protect and care for our National Parks is the right thing to do, and something we owe to today's kids, and tomorrow's.''

Abi Garaman, chairman of the National Park Academy of the Arts, a 14 year-old organization focused on celebrating representational artists and improving the National Parks System, supports the campaign and encourages artists around the world to use their art to help save the National Parks.

``America's National Parks need our help and now is the time to make your voice heard,'' said Garaman. ``Today we can use the Internet to deliver powerful park artwork directly to Congress to try and convince them to repair and revitalize our great national park system.

``We encourage the thousands of talented artists who enter our annual Arts for the Parks competition to feature their own artwork in the `One For The Parks' cards they personally send, and to make their artwork available to others to use as well.''

The bold campaign to save the parks is also being supported by a national ad campaign. ``PhotoPoint's One For The Parks'' will drive ``Save The Parks'' postcards to Washington through Labor Day weekend in September, allowing participants to take full advantage of the summer vacation season -- the busiest time of year for the National Parks.

WASHINGTON, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Parks Conservation Association recently sent a letter to the U.S. House Resources Committee opposing a bill that would transfer 3,900 acres of Biscayne National Park to the state of Florida, which in turn would renew expired leases of seven owners of weekend getaway housing located in the bay's shallow water. The bill, HR3033, is scheduled for mark up by the House Resources Committee.

``Seven lease holders who have expired leases for weekend retreats or vacation getaways in the park are leading a land grab that would set a terrible precedent for parks with private inholdings throughout the nation,'' says William Chandler, NPCA vice-president for conservation policy. ``These people are squatters. Their leases expired last year. It is mind boggling that members of Congress are helping them take over national park lands that belong to all Americans.''

The 3,900 acres of submerged lands and water, habitat for fish, lobsters, sponges, corals, threatened queen conchs, and endangered sea turtles, lie at the northern end of the park. The submerged acreage is covered primarily with sea grass, a vital component of the marine ecosystem. Endangered manatees and sea turtles feed on sea grasses. Within this area, seven parcels contain structures used as recreational retreats. The sites were leased to the users when the land belonged to the state of Florida. The renters have erected weekend retreats on stilts in the bay, giving the area its common name, Stiltsville.

Florida turned the land over to the National Park Service in 1980 for national park status. The park service honored the leases, but under the original terms of the leases, renters knew they would have to remove their structures from the park when the leases expired in 1999.

A draft amendment to HR3033, sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, would remove the 3,900 acres from the park and turn it over to the state of Florida so the leases could be renewed. ``This bill deletes land from a national park solely for the benefit of private individuals who have no right to be in the park,'' Chandler says. What's next, a give away of lands in Denali, Everglades, or Sequoia?``

NPCA also opposes swapping the Stiltsville area for other state lands, another proposal floated by Ros-Lehtinen. ``Stiltsville is a blight on the park and has to go,'' Chandler says. ``This area of the park is of top ecological value, and one of the best bonefish areas in Florida. It should not be traded away for less valuable lands.''

``Another problem is that hundreds of leases in national parks are slated to be turned over some day to the National Park Service,'' says Mary Munson, NPCA South Florida regional director. ``Exempting Stiltsville from this normal process will undermine the procedures by which these other parcels will become park land, setting a dangerous precedent. Maintaining these structures violates the very purpose for which Biscayne National Park was established. Even the park's general management plan, approved in 1983, called for an end to private residences in the park and refers specifically to Stiltsville. There is no legal or ethical justification for passing this special-interest legislation for the benefit of very few people at the expense of the general public.''

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government proposed Tuesday to reduce federal protection of endangered gray wolves, saying they had successfully recovered from near extinction but acknowledging more could die as a result of the change.

The Interior Department proposal would classify most of the wolves - all those except the Mexican gray wolf in the Southwest - as threatened rather than endangered. That means authorities would have greater leeway in developing management plans that take into account concerns from private landowners.

The small population of Mexican gray wolves recently introduced to parts of New Mexico and Arizona - only 22 wolves - would remain endangered because they continue to be under the threat of extinction, officials said.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the recovery of the gray wolf - also known as the timber wolf in some parts of the country - was ``an endangered species success story.'' But she said the increase in the number of wolves will allow her agency to ``structure wolf recovery to meet the needs of the species and those of the people.''

While wolves may be given somewhat lower levels of protection, the increased flexibility provided by reclassifying them as ``threatened'' may make it easier for wolf populations to expand into areas in which they currently are not found, federal wolf experts said. Those include vast areas of the West and even parts of New England, they said.

For example, the less restrictive designation might convince landowners in the Northeast - where currently there are no wolves known to exist, despite ideal habitat for the animal - to accept future wolf recovery plans from Maine to upstate New York, officials said.

But as threatened - a less protective designation under the federal Endangered Species Act - some wolves also may be captured or killed if they threaten livestock or fall under another less restrictive provision of a formal wolf management plan.

The gray wolf is currently classified as endangered throughout the country except in Alaska and in Minnesota - where it has a ``threatened'' classification.

But the recovery of the wolves has been impressive across the northern tier of the country from Michigan to Minnesota and in the northern Rocky Mountains where the animals were reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park in 1995.

Virtually extinct in the lower 48 states in the 1950s, today there are 2,445 wolves in Minnesota and a total of nearly 500 in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone has resulted in more than 300 wolves in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.

``We made the right choice to ... bring these animals back from the brink of extinction,'' said Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, in announcing that the animals have rebounded enough to warrant reclassification.

The new proposal brought mixed response from conservation groups with some praising the move and others expressing concern that the lesser protection might endanger attempts to expand the wolf's range.

``It's a mixture of good news and bad,'' said Bob Ferris of Defenders of Wildlife. He said he wasn't opposed to the reclassification, but was concerned that the government ``is not considering any further recovery areas'' and that some wolves could lose federal protection entirely.

The National Wildlife Federation said while the proposal ``reflects the success of wolf recovery programs,'' it ``falls far short of a bolder vision for recovery'' of wolves in the West.

Under the proposal, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would establish four distinct population segments, based on the primary ranges in which the wolves are found or are expected to migrate. The wolves would be removed from all Endangered Species protection in all or part of 30 states where wolf introduction is unlikely.