HILO, HI - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior, has awarded a $584,981 contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to WTD Holdings, Inc., a commercial and institutional building contractor in Alpharetta, Ga. This project is expected to create at least 10 jobs, including subcontractors in Hawai‘i.The company will use the ARRA grant to replace the existing 4,400-square foot storage facility with a modern structure. The existing Pua A‘kala barn was constructed in 1930 and has been used for storage at the refuge. This project will replace an unsafe, mission-critical asset in very poor condition in order to support the maintenance and restoration of upland habitat for 17 endangered bird and plant species. The new structure will be built near the Refuge’s Administrative Site, where power and water are readily available and other facilities are located.
“The new building will better protect our equipment in this rainforest environment and provide our staff and volunteers with a safe structure for equipment maintenance and repair,” said Jim Kraus, project leader for Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. “It will also allow us to consolidate our operations at one location, improving efficiency and lessening our footprint within the refuge.”
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed earlier this year gave $3 billion to the Department of the Interior. Of that amount, $280 million in funding goes to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The ARRA funds are part of a stimulus package that is an important component of President Obama’s plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under ARRA, Interior is making an investment in conserving America’s timeless treasures - our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage - while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting community service.
“With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said.
Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department’s economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force to work closely with Interior’s Inspector General to ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency set by President Obama.
