National Park Service
National Capital Regional Office
U.S. Department of the Interior
1100 Ohio Drive SW
Washington, DC 20242
Interior Recovery News Release
Contact: Bill Line or Toni Braxton
Phone: (202) 619-7222
NPS Announces Recovery Act Projects
WASHINGTON, DC -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 National Capital Region, which includes park service units in the greater metropolitan area of Washington, D.C.
“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 National Capital Region are:
- $30.5 million to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, including walks for improved pedestrian circulation, lighting, repairs to the Reflecting Pool, improved handicapped access, irrigation, and rehabilitation of the Lincoln Memorial lower approach-way plaza.
- $7.3 million to restore the District of Columbia War Memorial at the National Mall & Memorial Parks, including restoring lighting systems, correcting water drainage systems, and restoring the landscape to allow the memorial to be used as a bandstand.
- $585,000 to rehabilitate historic bridle trails at Rock Creek Park.
- $415,000 to rehabilitate trails and remove exotic plants on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
- $108,000 to preserve historic headstones at Antietam National Battlefield.
- $56,000 to repair and replace fire hydrants at Catoctin Mountain Park.
“We are excited that Recovery Act projects will help us improve the standard of care in the National Capital Region’s parks. We will be able to improve the condition of our park resources and provide a better quality experience for visitors,” said Peggy O’Dell, National Capital Regional Director. “We are committed to managing the funds with the highest level of accountability while creating much needed jobs.”
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.
