National Park Service
Pacific West Regional Office
U.S. Department of the Interior
1111 Jackson St. Ste. 700
Oakland, CA 94607

Interior Recovery News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Holly Bundock
Phone: (510) 817-1320

NPS Announces Recovery Act Projects

OAKLAND, CA -The National Park Service (NPS) today announced nearly 800 projects totaling $750 million that can be completed across the country with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This major effort includes projects in the agency’s Pacific West Region, which includes California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Hawaii, American Samoa, and Guam.

“These projects are an investment in America’s future that will create jobs, stimulate the economies of local communities, and get our country moving again,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said. “They are also an investment in telling the story of America to future generations through our national parks by conserving our awe-inspiring landscapes, our rich culture, and our great heritage.”

“We will use Recovery Act funding to make a difference in parks,” said Acting Director Dan Wenk. “We will fix trails, invest in energy efficient vehicles, build new visitor facilities, clean up abandoned mine sites, increase our ability to generate power from the sun, and finally complete overdue maintenance on our buildings and roads.”

A full list of National Park Service projects is available at www.interior.gov/recovery/nps. A few examples in the Pacific West Region are:

• $54.7 million to complete six mitigation projects in preparation for the removal of the Elwha Dam and restoration of the Elwha River basin in Olympic National Park in Washington.
• $1.2 million for hybrid electric shuttle buses in Yosemite National Park.
• $834,000 to install a photovoltaic system at Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
• $359,000 to install a photovoltaic system at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.
• $304,000 will be used to install gates and protect visitors near an abandoned mine site in California’s Death Valley National Park.
• $181,000 to rehabilitate South Slough Loop Trail at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.
• $1.3 million to repair and replace fences at Haleakala National Park in Hawaii.

“All of the projects within the Pacific West Region highlight our commitment to our visitors and park resources,” said Jonathan B. Jarvis, Regional Director

All the projects announced today are long-standing priorities of the National Park Service and meet 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.

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 the recovery web site and on www.interior.gov/recovery/nps.