Secretary Salazar Announces Department of the Interior Economic Stimulus Projects in Ohio

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 Ohio. Across its Bureaus, the Department will invest $23 million in Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio include:

National Park Service – $17.4 million in funding

• Multiple projects including closing four hazardous abandoned oil and gas wells and restoring natural landscapes, repairing the historic Tinker's Creek aquaduct, and upgrading nine miles of railroad line for sustainability at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• Construction of a museum collection facility at Hopewell Culture National Historic Park
• Phase one of preservation projects at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial

• U.S. Geological Survey – $3.8 million in funding

  • Deferred Maintenance
  • Streamgage upgrades

  Fish & Wildlife Service – $1.7 million in funding

  • Big Darby Creek watershed restoration in the Ohio River Basin through the Carterville National Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office
  • Multiple projects through the Ohio Partners for Fish and Wildlife such as Beaver Farm prairie and wetland restoration and invasive species removal in western Ohio Oak Savanna habitat for the listed endangered Indiana bat

  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 Ohio, please click here: http://recovery.doi.gov/OH