This summer the first man-made rafting park in the U.S. opens outside Charlotte, N.C. Are more urban parks on the way?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FORTUNE Small Business) - Coming soon to a metropolis near you: Class IV rapids. Jeff Wise, a former software entrepreneur, is helping develop the first white-water park in the U.S., on a 307-acre plot outside Charlotte. The nonprofit park opens in June and will host world-class competitions, though Wise wants weekend warriors to show up too.

USDA NEWS RELEASE
USACE NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Alisa Harrison (202) 720-4623 (USDA)
Joan Moody (202) 208-6416 (DOI)
David Hewitt (202) 761-4826 (USACE)

PUBLIC TO BENEFIT FROM SINGLE RESERVATION SERVICE

E-Gov Initiative will Provide One-Stop for Campgrounds/Recreation Reservations

WASHINGTON, August 9, 2004 –- The United States Department of Agriculture today announced the award of a contract to provide a single, interagency federal recreation information and reservation service called the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS).

The three and a half-year, performance-based contract with a total potential value of $128 million was awarded to ReserveAmerica of Ballston Spa, N.Y. The contract provides for additional option periods for a total contract period not to exceed 10 years. The Forest Service conducted a full and open competition for the award of the new contract. The new contract will consolidate and expand the existing federal reservation services and agencies may add other sites that are currently individually reserved at the local level. It will begin operating in late 2004.

Nearly 40 organizations sent Congress two letters regarding National Park Service funding. One letter seeks full funding for national park roads, both in any final legislation emerging from the now-underway conference committee on a successor to TEA-21 and in any further extensions of TEA-21. Click here to see the Park Roads Letter.

The second letter seeks to have the costs of anti-terrorism efforts of the National Park Service paid for by the Department of Homeland Security, much as park road costs are funded through the Department of Transportation. We believe that the potential exists for guarding national critical assets and infrastructure at NPS sites could seriously erode the capability of the agency to continue progress on elimination of the backlog of deferred maintenance and in the use of new and higher fees to improve visitor services. Click Here to see the Anti-Terrorism letter.