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

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 Montana. Across its Bureaus, the Department will invest more than $121 million in Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana include:

Bureau of Reclamation – $61.9 million in funding

• Multiple projects including completion of construction on a water treatment plant that will serve Fort Peck Reservation and Dry Prairie

National Park Service – $20.2 million in funding

• Maintenance and rehabilitation of trails and facilities at Big Canyon National Recreation Area, Bighole National Battlefield, Grant Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park.
• Increase alternative energy capacities at the resource management building and trail creek campground in Bighorn Canyon

Bureau of Indian Affairs – $18.5 million in funding

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

Bureau of Land Management – $17.6 million in funding

• Multiple projects that involve construction, deferred maintenance, roads and bridges
• Habitat restoration and riparian enhancements
• Amount includes more than $6 million for remediation of abandoned mines

Fish & Wildlife Service – $2.4 million in funding

• Multiple projects on the state's wetlands, refuges and hatcheries
• Installation of a solar panel system at Ennis National Fish Hatchery that will provide for 75 percent of that location's electricity use

U.S. Geological Survey – $492,000 in funding

• Volcano monitoring at Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and upgrades in the National Volcano Early Warning System
• Upgrade streamgages statewide with high data rate satellite radios.

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 Montana, please click here: http://recovery.doi.gov/MT