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

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 California. Across its Bureaus, the Department will invest $401.2 million in California 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 California 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 California include:

National Park Service - $102.3 million in funding

• Replace deteriorate walkway around whale overlook at Cabrillo National Monument
• Install grid-tied photovoltaic system on visitor center auditorium roof at Manzanar National Historic Site
• Demolish four abandoned structures in Camino del Canyon
• Install multiple gates throughout Death Valley National Park to protect visitors and preserve resource habitat

Fish & Wildlife Service - $22.4 million in funding

• Repair 4,500-foot boundary fence and Salinas River entrance gate at Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
• Restore Big Bear Flats stream to benefit the endangered Shasta crayfish, Willow Flycatch at the Red Bluff Fish and Wildlife Office

Bureau of Indian Affairs - $17.9 million in funding

• Multiple construction projects on academic dormitories, support facilities and infrastructure
• Construction of modest energy efficient modular homes by a tribally owned company through the Housing Improvement Program
• Maintenance on roads and bridges

Bureau of Reclamation - $219.7 million in funding

• Repair Spring Creek Powerplant Intake (Whiskeytown Lake) Temperature Curtain at the CVP, Trinity River Division
• Repaint Spillway Bridge at NCAO-Shasta Dam

Bureau of Land Management - $36.3 million in funding

• Construction to install photovoltaics at 17 BLM facilities and a critical health and safety radio tower
• Multiple maintenance on trails

U.S. Geological Survey - $2.6 million in funding

• Volcano monitoring at Cascades Volcano Observatory and upgrades in the National Volcano Early Warning System
• Upgrading and repairing streamgages

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 for California, please click here: http://recovery.doi.gov/CA