Bokeelia, FL - Smokehouse Bay Preserve, located on the north end of Pine Island about 25 miles west of Fort Myer, Fla., is home to Wood Storks and Snowy Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills and Tricolored Herons. And unfortunately, it’s also home to some of the past’s alteration of Florida’s natural state.

Reversing those past practices is the work of Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program, which bought two parcels of land in Smokehouse Bay in 1999 and 2007 and is now in the process of restoring them. That process will get a boost from the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, popularly known as stimulus funds, now that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a $225,000 contract to Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation for improvements in Smokehouse Bay.

“We want to get it back to the way Mother Nature intended” in order to protect the preserve and the adjacent bay, said Cathy Olson, Lee County Conservation 20/20 Senior Supervisor.

“The issue is human practices of the past,” said Debbie Devore, South Florida coastal program coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Environmental contamination from fertilizers and pesticides can cause water quality problems, and just taking the palm groves in the area out of commission has already reduced the contamination to the watershed.”

Much of the rest of the preserve is a tidal swamp filled with mangroves and several exotic plant species. Mangroves are important nursery areas for many of the commercial and recreational fisheries in the area.
The new stimulus-funded project calls re-grading parts of the palm grove and removing the palm trees. The trees are non-native plants that were being grown on an agricultural farm, and the land managers want to allow the natural ecosystem to flourish, Olson explained. They will also plant native species to help return the uplands to its natural state, a pine flatwoods system.

The remainder of the project will be to treat invasive species within the mangroves, including Brazilian peppers, Australian pines, seaside mahoe and other assorted exotic plants growing where mosquito ditches were dug back in the 1950s.

Service Director Sam Hamilton spoke about Teddy Roosevelt and the value of public land at the site dedication for Tennessee NWR’s new visitor center and headquarters

Paris, Tenn. - With Kentucky Lake glistening in the background and a bright sun warming the November morning, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton dedicated the site for the new visitor center and headquarters at the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday, Nov. 5.

“There is no system in the world dedicated to the one purpose of wildlife conservation that can compare to ours,” said Hamilton. “This is going to be a great facility. It’s going to put people to work in this community. It’s more than just the jobs created. It’s the long-lasting legacy that will be here for the children.”

Refuge manager John Taylor looked forward to school children learning about the outdoors.

The new center, which will include extensive environmental classrooms and educational exhibits, is being built with $6.3 million from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, also known as stimulus funds. Ground breaking is expected in spring of 2010.

“Education is one of the greatest gifts you can give someone,” said refuge manager John Taylor. “The value of this facility will be when visitors come to learn about wildlife, conservation and climate change. I see school groups coming here to learn about the natural world.”

A sign now marks the spot where the new center will be built, starting next year. From left: Eric McLauren, vice president of Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure Group, which will build the center; Sam Tharpe, mayor of Paris, Tenn.; director Sam Hamilton; refuge manager John Taylor; and Henry County Mayor Brent Greer.

Also in attendance were USFWS Southeast Region director Cindy Dohner; City of Paris Mayor Sam Tharpe; Henry County Mayor Brent Greer; representatives of Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure Group, which will build the new center; and about 75 members of Friends of the Tennessee NWR and citizens of Henry County.

For additional information and photos from the event, please visit the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Recovery Act project page.

“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.

SACRAMENTO, CA - As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received funding to complete a wide variety of reconstruction and repair projects to Service buildings and other structures.

The Red Bluff Fish and Wildlife Office, located in Northern California approximately 135 miles north of Sacramento, is responsible for providing biological expertise and assistance to entities seeking to conserve and protect the ecosystems of North-central California.

The Red Bluff office recently finished several much-needed maintenance projects at the facility thanks to ARRA money. According to Tom T. Kisanuki, Deputy Project Leader, “The funding has allowed our station to complete needed project work that otherwise would not have been undertaken for years.”

The French Drain project was installed at the Administration Office of the facility. The soil around the station has a high clay content and drains poorly, which contributes to more moisture around the office building.

The French Drain project was designed to achieve two objectives. First, to drain water away from the building and, second, to convey rainwater from the Administration Building’s roof gutter system directly into the French Drain system.

The French Drain system is actually two water conveyance systems built into a common trench. The French Drain has a perforated pipe system, which surrounds the building and drains the moisture away from the building. The Administration Building’s gutter system is now directly connected to underground pipes set within the French Drain. Low-lying areas immediately around the building were filled in with topsoil and amended with gravel to promote drainage.

The project was completed on August 24th of this year at a cost of $5,975.00. The project was built by R.E. Short Construction of Red Bluff.

“The French Drain project went very smoothly,” added Kisanuki. “The work was done within budget. Our contractor, Mr. Rod Short, was very professional and performed the work to our satisfaction.”

In addition to the French Drain project, there are a number of other projects that have been completed utilizing ARRA funds, including:

• Replacement of the Air Conditioning Unit in the Garage/Shop Building
• Installation of Roof Ventilators in the Warehouse/Garage
• Installation of Rollup Doors in the Warehouse/Garage

Two additional projects have been funded. These include replacing an aging, inefficient modular trailer office space with a modern, energy-efficient building and repairing the damaged exterior stucco walls of the Annex Building and Conference Building.

The French Drain project is one of many small projects that will have a large impact on FWS operations across the Pacific Southwest Region. “We’re committed to restoring and protecting salmon and steelhead in the Sacramento River,” said Jim Smith, Project Leader. “Our ability to conduct our activities in a safe and environmentally-friendly way will be improved with this project. The new French Drain system will mean that a seasonally wet area in the lawn near our office will now be effectively drained. Draining this area will eliminate breeding areas for mosquitoes, as well as prolonging the life of our office’s foundation.”

In addition to improving operations and facilities, the ARRA funds are also stimulating employment and economic growth in communities throughout the region. “All the work was done locally and the materials were sourced locally,” said Rod Short, owner of R.E. Short Construction. “That means all the money stayed local. It was a good job and we enjoyed working with the Fish and Wildlife folks.”

This project is just one more example of how ARRA funding helps both the community and the ongoing operations of the Fish and Wildlife Service in these tough economic times.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

NAPLES, FL - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a $171,094 contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) to Wildland Services, Inc. of Moore Haven, Florida, to cut invading cabbage palms on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge as a forest restoration project to benefit the Florida panther and other endangered species.

“This valuable project is one part of a multifaceted land management program on the refuge,” said Acting Refuge Manager Ben Nottingham. “Invasive cabbage palm removal, fire management, and non-native plant control are crucial to managing the refuge for panthers and the many other species of wildlife and native plants that depend upon a healthy and diverse environment.”

The Service hired Wildland Services to cut cabbage palms on more than 1,700 acres of pine forests that once consisted of slash pines with an understory of scattered saw palmetto, grasses, and low herbaceous plants.

“The construction of canals over the last century for flood control has altered the balance of nature,” said Larry Richardson, refuge wildlife biologist. “They channel water away from the refuge to the Gulf of Mexico and prevent the summer rains from recharging the aquifer.”

In the 20 years Richardson has been working on the refuge he has seen grassy prairies gradually taken over. Cabbage palms have formed dense, nearly impenetrable stands, shading out forage plants for deer. Thousands of acres of the refuge have been degraded by this cabbage palm invasion, which has adversely impacted the Refuge’s deer population. A healthy and abundant deer population is necessary to maintain the refuge’s resident panthers.

Additionally, thick stands of cabbage palms make the pinelands undesirable for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, a former resident of the lands now within the refuge.

Wildland Services will use crews and equipment to cut cabbage palms over six feet tall, dropping them in place to rot away or be consumed by prescribed fires, which the Service uses routinely to manage fuels that otherwise can promote catastrophic wildfires. Smaller palms will be eliminated with herbicides as more funding becomes available. Minimal ground disturbance is a requirement of the contract to prevent invasion by non-native plants such as Brazilian pepper and protect the native grasses and low growing plants.

“Cabbage palms produce volatile fuels that make for intense fires and spotting (where fires jump control lines into other areas), thus destroying desirable trees and cover for wildlife, particularly white-tailed deer,” said Billy Snyder, fire control officer for the refuge.

Darrel Land, Panther Section Leader for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, is pleased with the restoration that has already occurred on 2,500 acres of pinelands along the eastern boundary of the refuge. “The restoration so far has greatly benefited panthers by improving habitat for deer, the panthers’ primary prey,” Land said.

Read more on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge Website: http://www.fws.gov/floridapanther/

“These funds will be used to help provide for our regular maintenance to a road in need of repair,” Little Pend Oreille NWR Manager Steve Fowler said. “When completed, the project will allow for improved access to our 42,000-acre reserve.”

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.

 
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation has awarded $2.86 million to AKK-De Los Santos Construction Company of Chandler, Ariz. under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

Under this award, the contractor will replace or repair the concrete lining, various gate structures and siphons on channels near Yuma, Ariz., that carry agricultural return drainage flows from Gila Valley farmland to the Colorado River or its tributaries.

“These aging channels have deteriorated to the point that they have reduced the operational efficiency of the drainage system,” Secretary Salazar said. “If one of the channels or adjacent support structures failed, they could require costly emergency replacement measures. This funding will help resolve these inefficiencies, conserve usable water, and increase the system’s capacity to better meet the needs of the system users.”

The specific projects will be on Drainage Pump Outlet Channels 1 and 2m near Yuma, Ariz.

The purposes of ARRA are, among others, to quickly and prudently commence activities that preserve and create jobs and to promote economic recovery, and to invest in infrastructure. Recovery Act funding must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2010.

Secretary Salazar has pledged quick and responsible implementation of the $3 billion in recovery funds that will be used by the Department of the Interior and its agencies.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department of the Interior’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. Henderson and the Task Force will work closely with the Department of the Interior’s Inspector General to ensure that the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility and transparency that President Obama has set.

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation has awarded American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to additional tribes to help improve infrastructure and water supplies while bringing jobs to Indian country.

Today’s announcements apply to five tribes that will receive a total of $47 million-the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota; the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota; and the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. Reclamation previously has awarded $97 million and will award a total of $157 million in recovery funding to tribes for their water systems.

“President Obama’s economic recovery plan is meant to quickly aid Americans by providing jobs and improving infrastructure, while paving the way for tomorrow’s success,” Salazar said. “It is particularly important to create economic opportunities and local jobs for tribes that currently obtain water from some of the nation’s most substandard water supply systems. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is bringing these areas both high-quality drinking water and a brighter outlook for the future.”
Funding to tribes announced today includes:

• $6.4 million to the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota. This additional funding will assist the tribes with continued construction of the Fort Berthold Rural Water System.
• $1.9 million to the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. This additional funding will assist the tribe with continued construction on five rural water system projects in South Dakota.
• $18.9 million to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to assist the tribe with continued construction of three projects within the Standing Rock Rural Water Supply System in South Dakota.
• $14.7 million for two Oglala Sioux Tribe rural water projects in South Dakota. The first project involves the Oglala Sioux Rural Water Supply Core System. The second project will include rural water system improvement on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This improvement will include rehabilitation of water systems at seven Bureau of Indian Affairs schools.
• $5.27 million to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico under modification to an existing contract for purchasing pipeline and related fittings for constructing key portions of the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline authorized as part of the Animas-La Plata Project by the Colorado Ute Settlement Act Amendments of 2000.

A total of $215 million in Recovery Act water infrastructure investments through the Bureau of Reclamation will provide a direct or indirect benefit to multiple tribal water users. This investment is in addition to other ARRA funds from Department of the Interior bureaus — mainly the Bureau of Indian Affairs — which will provide an additional $500 million to President Obama’s economic recovery efforts targeting tribal communities across the nation.

Department of the Interior water infrastructure investments in tribal water systems are part of the $1 billion nationwide effort that Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation will channel under the ARRA to restore aging infrastructure, repair aging dams, provide drought relief and improve conservation of water.

In response to the water crisis, across the West, Reclamation will spend $200 million on construction of rural water projects for tribal and non-tribal rural water system construction with an emphasis on water intakes and water treatment plants. These investments will help address public health needs of rural and Native communities and create significant economic development in these distressed areas. The infusion of ARRA funding will allow projects authorized by Congress to deliver water sooner than would otherwise be the case.
Secretary Salazar has pledged quick and responsible implementation of the $3 billion in recovery funds that will be used by the Department of the Interior and its agencies.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department of the Interior’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. Henderson and the Task Force will work closely with the Department of the Interior’s Inspector General to ensure that the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility and transparency that President Obama has set.

]]> http://recovery.doi.gov/press/2009/10/secretary-salazar-announces-47-million-more-under-recovery-act-to-improve-water-supplies-for-indian-tribes/feed/ http://recovery.doi.gov/press/2009/10/secretary-salazar-awards-2774-million-contract-for-construction-of-the-navajo-nation-municipal-pipeline/ http://recovery.doi.gov/press/2009/10/secretary-salazar-awards-2774-million-contract-for-construction-of-the-navajo-nation-municipal-pipeline/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:27:39 +0000 Katelyn Sabochik http://recovery.doi.gov/press/?p=4228 Date:  October 7, 2009
Contact:  Joan Moody (Interior) (202) 208-6416
Doug Hendrix (Reclamation) (801) 524-3837

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a contract totaling $27.74 million to the Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority for the construction of Reaches 2 through 6 of the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline. NECA, a construction firm wholly-owned and operated by the Navajo Nation, will use the funds to construct the remaining 21-mile stretch (out of a total project of 29 miles) of the municipal pipeline..

“It gives me great pleasure to announce the award of this contract for constructing additional phases of the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline as it signifies ongoing progress towards completion of the Animas-La Plata Project,” said Secretary Salazar. “When completed, the pipeline will carry much-needed water to the communities served by the Navajo Tribal Utilities Authority in the vicinity of Shiprock, New Mexico.”

Constructing Reaches 2 through 6 of the pipelinewill entail the excavation and burial of 21 miles of PVC pipeline (24-inch diameter) and the construction of a 1-million gallon water storage tank near Nenahnezad Hill.

The Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline was authorized as part of the Animas-La Plata Project by the Colorado Ute Settlement Act Amendments of 2000 to provide for the delivery of 4,680 acre-feet of municipal and industrial water per year from Farmington to Shiprock. The pipeline will follow the approximate alignment of the existing Farmington-to-Shiprock pipeline and will connect to existing distribution service laterals that serve communities in the Upper Fruitland, San Juan, Nenahnezad, Hogback, Shiprock, Cudei and Beclaibito Chapters.

“Construction of the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline is the by-product of dedicated workers, planning and design teams, project sponsors and beneficiaries joining together and contributing their training, talents and passion to complete this job,” said Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor.

The Animas-La Plata Project fulfills the requirements of the 1988 Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act and the Colorado Ute Settlement Act Amendment of 2000. When completed, the project will provide the Navajo Nation, Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the people of the Four Corners area with a reliable water supply for their future needs, without taking scarce water resources away from existing water users in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico.

The Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority, based in Shiprock, is a minority commercial construction company owned and operated by the Navajo Nation. The company has extensive experience in all phases of construction and related engineering disciplines, including: heavy civil construction, road building, water distribution systems and municipal improvements.

WELAKA, FL - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a $10,160 contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) to DePriest Heating and Cooling, Inc., to upgrade energy systems at the Welaka National Fish Hatchery.

“By putting these Recovery dollars to work at the Welaka hatchery, we are making an investment in jobs immediately and modern energy efficiency that will benefit the facility for many years to come,” said Hatchery Manager Allan Brown.

The Service solicited bids from local vendors and is pleased to award the bid to DePriest Heating and Cooling, Inc., East Palatka, Fla. The upgraded, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems are essential to the comfort and well-being of the public to enjoy the visitors’ contact station and exhibits, and are absolutely necessary for Service employees.

“These new units will be much more efficient than the old units they are replacing,” said Brown. “The contract has been awarded and the new units should be in place by the end of September.”

Welaka National Fish Hatchery, established as a Federal facility in 1938, annually produces five million to six million warm and cold-water fish for restoration and recovery programs throughout the Southeast Region. These include striped bass and the threatened gulf sturgeon.

More than 20,000 people visit the hatchery in north central Florida every year to learn more about natural resources and the Service’s aquatic species programs.

Funding for these projects and hundreds more across the nation comes from the Recovery Act passed earlier this year. Of the $3 billion appropriated to the Department of the Interior, the Recovery Act provides $280 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which includes $115 million for construction, repair and energy efficiency retrofit projects at Service facilities, and $165 million for habitat restoration, deferred maintenance and capital improvement projects. Projects will help create local jobs in the communities where they are located and around the United States, while stimulating long-term employment and economic opportunities for the American public.

The Service will channel nearly $56.6 million of Recovery Act funding into economic stimulus projects throughout the Southeast Region.

Recovery Act projects address long-standing priority needs identified by the Service through its capital planning process. The agency worked through a rigorous merit-based process to identify and prioritize investments meeting the criteria put forth in the Recovery Act: namely, that a project addresses the Department’s highest priority mission needs; generates the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time; and creates lasting value for the American public.

For a full list of funded projects nationwide, go to the Department’s Recovery web site at http://recovery.doi.gov/. For a list of Service projects, click on the Service’s logo at the bottom of the page or visit http://recovery.doi.gov/press/bureaus/us-fish-and-wildlife-service. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on the recovery web site, which includes an interactive map that allows the public to track where and how the Department’s recovery dollars are being spent. In addition, the public can submit questions, comments or concerns at recoveryact@fws.gov.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov and http://www.fws.gov/southeast.