Alaska State Office
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News Release |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE News Release No. 09-23
Contact: Sharon Wilson, 907-271-4418 Date: 5/04/09
Danielle Allen, 907-271-3335
Danielle Allen, 907-271-3335
BLM in Alaska Receives Economic Stimulus Funds
Anchorage—The Alaska Bureau of Land Management will receive $37.4 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to fund 30 projects throughout the state that will benefit the public. Overall, the Department of the Interior will invest more than $3 billion through President Obama’s economic recovery plan. Of those funds, $305 million is dedicated to more than 650 BLM projects, most of which are in the western states and Alaska.
In announcing the funding May 2, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said, “Through these economic recovery investments, we are also making a down payment on restoring and protecting the stunning landscapes that BLM manages on behalf of the American people.” He added, “We will conserve habitat, restore watersheds, clean up abandoned mine sites and wells, and build a legacy of stewardship of which we can be proud.”
Alaska’s share of the recovery funds will go toward habitat restoration, remediation of old oil well and mining sites, maintenance and upgrade of roads and recreation trails and facilities, and capital improvement projects that include renewable energy upgrades.
“I am pleased with the funding we received,” said BLM-Alaska State Director Tom Lonnie. “Much of it will be spent in rural communities, which will help our state’s economy while we improve facilities, including recreation facilities, used by the public. These Recovery Act funds will also help us launch much-needed habitat restoration projects and remediate old well sites and mining sites.
“We intend to start on these projects as soon as possible,” added Lonnie. “Some should begin later this summer after going through competitive bid, grant or agreement processes. We will add more specific project information to the recovery.gov Web site as it becomes available.”
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.
The BLM manages 256 million acres – more land than any other federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is located primarily in 12 Western states, including 80 million acres in Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
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