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

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 Vermont. Across its Bureaus, the Department will invest $1.7 million in Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont include:

Fish & Wildlife Service – over $1 million in funding

• Emergency rehab of the hatchery electrical system and of the main hatchery outfall at White River National Fish Hatchery
• Funding of the National Fish Passage Program, a voluntary, non-regulatory program that provides funding and technical assistance toward removing or bypassing barriers to fish movement, at the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Resource Complex

National Park Service – $518,000 in funding

• Working with the Student Conservation Association to repair and rehabilitate historic carriage roads at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park
• Rehabilitation of the historic Appalachian Trail Little Rock Pond shelter

U.S. Geological Survey – $216,000 in funding

• Deferred Maintenance
• Streamgage upgrades

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 Vermont, please click here: http://recovery.doi.gov/VT