Other Utah programs may not fare so well. The president proposed cutting federal aid that helps the poor heat their homes, that provides assistance to rural and low-income families, that helps the state track down deadbeat parents, and that helps maintain airports around the state.

Several of the cost-cutting moves the president proposed in his $2.9 trillion budget Monday have been pushed by the administration in years past without success, so it is unclear if they will fare better in a Democratic Congress.

"The president's budget is a good start with the right goal - a balanced budget," said Republican Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch. "Obviously, I don't support everything in his budget, but at least he laid down a marker. Now the real work begins."

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne says Bush is passionate about the nation's parks, and that is reflected in a $258 million increase he is proposing, including a National Parks Centennial Initiative aimed at generating as much as $3 billion before the Parks Service's 100th anniversary in 2016.

"It is exactly what the parks need to prepare for a new century of conservation, preservation and enjoyment and to inspire another generation of visitors," Kempthorne said.

Utah's national parks and monuments would be able to hire 120 additional seasonal rangers and guides and receive $1.6 million for park improvements and operations.

Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association, said the money would help the Park Service do its job, but House Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., dismissed the program as gimmickry that would take money from park construction and other programs.

Kempthorne also pitched a $22 million Healthy Lands Initiative in Rocky Mountain states, where wildlife habitat has clashed with increased oil and gas development. In Utah, that would mean putting $2 million in watershed protection, part of a cooperative arrangement with the Utah Partners for Conservation and Development, made up of state agencies, Utah State University, and sportsmen groups. Since 2003, the partnership has spent $25 million treating 500,000 acres.

"It benefits elk, mule dear, pygmy rabbits, sage grouse," said Don Peay of the group Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife. "It's a very exciting thing to actually see a lot of acres being restored."

As in years past, the White House proposed a sharp cut cut to the Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes program, created to help Western counties absorb firefighting, search-and-rescue, and other expenses related to federal lands in their borders. Bush proposed $190 million for the program, $42.5 million less than Congress approved this year, angering Utah's congressional delegation.

"If they are wondering why the West is turning from red to purple and blue, perhaps showing a bit more respect for those who have to deal with the government's massive presence in our counties and states would help," said Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah. "It is absurd that they can find an additional $258 million for parks while proposing to actually cut PILT."

Several programs that help Utah's poor would suffer under the Bush budget.

The administration proposed eliminating the Community Service Block Grant, which helps community groups provide food, housing, job assistance and health programs for low-income residents. This year, Utah organizations are receiving $3.2 million.

"It's not a huge number, but it makes a huge difference," said Heather Tritten, executive director of the Utah Community Action Partnership Association, which coordinates the local groups that administer the grants. "In the rural areas of Utah . . . those agencies would go away and there would be no low-income provider in those areas."

Hatch also said he is troubled by a proposed $700 million cut from a state grant program used for community and economic development programs and will try to make sure the program has adequate funding.

Other proposed cuts:

* A loss of $3.5 million, about one-fourth of Utah's funding under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, designed to help the poor heat their homes.

* A reduction of Utah's funding under the Airport Improvement Program from $44 million to $34 million. "We will take a hit. Yes, it will be painful. Yes, projects will be delayed," said Pat Morley, director of the Utah Division of Aeronautics, although he could not say which projects might be postponed.

* Additional reductions in federal aid to Utah for tracking down child support scofflaws, from $33.3 million to $29.7 million.

* Deep cuts in homeland security grants, from $9.9 million this year for Utah, to $3.6 million. Brian Hyer, spokesman for the Utah Division of Homeland Security, said the state has seen a decrease in federal funding, but more grants may be available later in the year and the agency prioritizes its money to protect the most critical needs.

* A cut of $175 million nationally to the rural housing budget. The program provides grants to homebuyers in rural parts of the country, including Utah.

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* Reporter THOMAS BURR contributed to this story.

What the National Parks Centennial Initiative would mean for Utah:

* Arches NP: 10 new seasonal employees, $142,000 in funding

* Bryce NP: 18 new seasonal employees, $225,000 in funding

* Canyonlands NP: 16 new seasonal employees, $231,000 in funding

* Capitol Reef NP: 13 new seasonal employees, $184,000 in funding

* Cedar Breaks NM: 6 new seasonal employees, $80,000 in funding

* Dinosaur NM: 5 new seasonal employees, $58,000 in funding

* Glen Canyon NRA: 27 new seasonal employees, $370,000

* Hovenweep NM: 1 new seasonal employee, $11,000

* Natural Bridges NM: 4 new seasonal employees, $50,000

* Zion NP: 20 new seasonal employees, $280,000 in funding