Associated Press - October 11, 2009 1:25 PM ET
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Wyoming is getting $2.8 million from the federal government to replace a visitor center, make parking lot improvements and other changes to the Snowy Range Scenic Byway.
Snowy Range Scenic Byway on Wyoming Highway 130 runs 29 miles through the Medicine Bow National Forest.
Environmentalists including the Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance have criticized expanding the byway's infrastructure, saying a supposedly scenic place isn't a good spot for a big parking lot.
The proposed work includes making the Ryan Park snowmobile parking area usable year-round and paving pathways around high mountain lakes.
And the cash will also pay for cleaning up areas made unsightly by beetle-killed trees that could pose a fire danger.
Wyoming is among 43 states due a share of $40.7 million for 160 projects that's coming from the Federal Highway Administration.
Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle - Cheyenne, http://www.wyomingnews.com
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