Secretary Salazar Announces Department of the Interior Economic Stimulus Projects in New Mexico

Washington, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the Department of the Interior's projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for New Mexico. Across its Bureaus, the Department will invest more than $101 million in New Mexico as part of the recovery plan signed by the President to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st Century.

“As the steward of America's resources, our Department has a unique responsibility to carry out its mission in a transparent, open manner by arriving at policy decisions based on public input and ‘best science' practices,” said Secretary Salazar. “After a rigorous process of identifying merit-based projects that truly reflect the longstanding mission and priorities of our Bureaus, I am confident these investments meet the highest standards and will accomplish the goals as outlined by President Obama.”

DOI's ARRA investments in New Mexico support President Obama and Secretary Salazar's ambitious goals to build America's new energy future, to protect and restore our treasured landscapes, to create a 21st Century Youth Conservation Corps, to address America's water challenges, and to empower Native American communities.

Highlights of Initiatives funded through ARRA in New Mexico include:

Bureau of Indian Affairs – $54.6 million in funding

• Construction and housing improvements
• Roads and bridges maintenance
• Workforce training

Bureau of Land Management – $28.5 million in funding

• Deferred maintenance
• Habitat restoration
• Trails maintenance

National Park Service – $8 million in funding

• Multiple projects that will repair, rehabilitate and upgrade trails, facilities and historic structures.
• Units affected include Bandalier, Capulin Volcano, Petroglyph, Gila Cliffs, Fort Union and White Sands National Monuments
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Pecos National Historic Park and more

Bureau of Reclamation – $5.5 million in funding

• Multiple projects including habitat restoration at Isleta Reach, Middle Rio Grande Project
• Re-vegetation and mitigation efforts at Bitter Lake, Carlsbad Project

Fish & Wildlife Service – $3.9 million in funding

• Restore natural flow in a previously channelized reach of the Pecos River
• Install solar panels on several buildings at Sevilleta and Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuges
• Multiple projects to repair, rehabilitate and upgrade facilities at both Dexter and Mora National Fish Hatchery Technology Centers

U.S. Geological Survey – $367,000 in funding

• Deferred Maintenance
• Streamgage upgrades

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.

For a complete list of projects in New Mexico, please click here: http://recovery.doi.gov/NM