November 2009 * December 2009 * January 2010 * February 2010 * March 2010 * April 2010 * May 2010 * June 2010February 2011 * March 2011 * April 2011 * May 2011 |
New Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge Administration Building
May 18, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completed the new administration building at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.[read more]
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Break Ground on “Green” Aquatic Conservation and Education Center
March 21, 2011
Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery, in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, will soon be home to one of the most energy efficient buildings ever built by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.[read more]
Necedah NWR Visitor Center
February 09, 2011
The new Necedah National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Necedah, Wis. will open its doors to the public in April 2011 thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.[read more]
Habitat Restoration by Partners, Using Stimulus Funds, Aids Gulf Striped Bass
February 02, 2011
The Gulf striped bass was once common in many locations along the Northern Gulf coast and on the Mississippi River. But a combination of factors – including fishing, dams, and pollution – diminished the population and limited it to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River system in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.[read more]
Arizona YCC worker hired with Recovery Act funds excels at refuge despite challenges
January 14, 2011
Recently a crew of staff members from Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) near Ajo, Arizona was working amid the unforgiving heat in the desert terrain on a project to replant native vegetation as stoic saguaros stood guard and nearby wildlife scampered hesitantly along the dusty perimeter. After a full day’s work, the tired crew members decided to wrap things up before daylight sank behind the hills. One crew member, a quiet young newcomer to the refuge staff named Andrew Maya, offered his fellow coworkers a quick, casual goodbye before heading home for the evening.[read more]
Separ, New Mex. Ranch Owners Restore Waterways with Service Partner’s Project
January 03, 2011
A.T. Cole is not your typical western New Mexico rancher. When asked how many head of cattle he has, he scratches his head and responds,
“I think it’s 13…when none of them gets struck by lightning like one of our bulls did last year.”[read more]
$220,000 in Recovery Act Funding for Piling Work at Willapa National Wildlife Refuge
December 09, 2010
Contracted to do $220,000 worth of pilings work at the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), marine construction specialist Quigg Bros. Inc. was already a major beneficiary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).[read more]
Dale Hollow Stimulus Fund Project Helps Local Farmers and Construction Company
December 01, 2010
When it is completed, the new water treatment system at Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery, near Celina, Tenn., will improve the region’s water quality. The system will prevent fish waste from flowing into the Obey River and will also stockpile nitrogen-rich fertilizer, which will be given away free to farmers to spread on their crops.[read more]
USFWS Intern Hired with Recovery Act Funds Finds Career Path
November 18, 2010
Rumbling through the dense brush of a washed-out riverbed in a beefed-up ATV in more than 100 degree heat, stumbling upon a den of rattlesnakes and capturing feisty razorback suckers was just another day on the job for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intern Nicki Devanny. [read more]
$29,800 in Recovery Act Funding to Restore a Lake in Rosedale, Mississippi
November 12, 2010
“Lord, I’m goin’ to Rosedale, gonna take my rider by my side,” wailed blues legend Robert Johnson in his song “Traveling Riverside Blues.” [read more]
Recovery Act Funding will Restore 35-acre Barrier Beach on Long Beach West to its Natural State
November 08, 2010
Thirty-seven unoccupied cottages that were once a summer community are now being removed from Long Beach West. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded project will eventually return the 35-acre barrier beach to its natural state, providing habitat for a wide variety of migratory and beach nesting birds, and create local jobs in the process.[read more]
$6.9 Million in Recovery Act Funding will go towards Improvements at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
November 02, 2010
U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) held a press conference in Laurel, Maryland, to highlight the important renovations that are taking place at the Patuxent Research Refuge and Patuxent Wildlife Research Center thanks to $15.5 million in funding from the Recovery Act. The renovations and improvements will ensure that the world-class research facilities will be able to continue and expand its mission into wildlife protection, habitat preservation and natural resource management. Patuxent is the only National Wildlife Refuge in the country whose purpose is to support wildlife research.[read more]
Mesquite eradication on 1,700 acres of New Mexico ranchland complete
October 27, 2010
Mesquite bushes are as quintessentially southwest as Texas tumbleweeds, and have pre-dated the arrival of man to the region, yet one of the problems affecting endangered southwestern animal species today is an overabundance of mesquite on ranchland in Tex., New Mex., and Ariz. Changes in traditional land use have given the five species of southwestern mesquite the chance to proliferate on western prairie lands, with honey mesquite predominating from east central to southeastern New Mexico. The spread of mesquite, used by native cultures for food, medicine and building materials since the beginning of recorded time, has throttled the growth of traditional food sources for the endangered lesser prairie chicken in the area, and has made its task of survival difficult.[read more]
Mike Rowe Wades Waist-Deep Into Florida Everglades at a National Wildlife Refuge on Discovery Channel’s “Diry Jobs with Mike Rowe” Airing Oct. 26
October 19, 2010
The sun was barely up, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees were briefing Mike Rowe on the day they had planned for him: he would head deep into the Florida Everglades on an airboat and wade into the waist-deep water, finding his footing on treacherous, slippery ground while swinging a sharpened machete and chopping down vegetation. Later he would literally be shooting fire. In addition, it was alligator mating season, which meant the gators could get a bit more aggressive than usual. [read more]
Recovery Act supports operations, mission at Dexter National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center
September 30, 2010
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is using Recovery Act funds for five projects to rehabilitate, upgrade and improve efficiency at Dexter National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center in Chaves County, N.M. The stimulus funds will help the hatchery keep up with its evolving mission. Dexter is home to a fully functional fish culture facility, molecular ecology lab and fish health unit. The Center currently houses over 1 million fish from 15 different threatened and endangered fish species. [read more]
Federal, state, and private agencies unite on a Recovery Act project to create first-ever fishable population of Gila trout in Arizona
August 31, 2010
Get ready to dip in that fly! For the first-time ever, anglers will soon have the opportunity to fish for native Gila trout in the fish’s historic habitat in Arizona. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners are working diligently to recover native Gila trout populations in the fish’s historic waters in the Southwest in an effort to remove the struggling trout from the endangered species list. For the past 50 years, Trout Unlimited (TU) has served as one of the largest non-profit organizations in the United States dedicated to establishing healthy populations of native trout and other fish in their historic waters. [read more]
$9.775 Million Recovery Act Project Produces Jobs and a Proud Community!
August 16, 2010
It was an exciting day on May 17, 2010 during the groundbreaking for the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex at Wertheim NWR in Shirley, New York. The hard hats and shovels were all ready to go as the back drop of construction equipment helped to set the tone for the day and years to come. The program included song and key messages from community, state, and federal officials. T.J. Nickel & Associates, the company that won the bid of $7.3 million to construct the facility, was in attendance sharing how thankful they are for the contract and how the work will help to boost the local economy. [read more]
The Recovery Act, Making Laysan Island Safer for Everyone
August 5, 2010
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is making a difference across the United States. The economic stimulus plan is helping to put people back to work and enhance the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s mission to promote nature conservation. One such project is located more than 800 miles northwest of Honolulu and 700-plus miles east of Midway, in the middle of the Northwestern Hawaiian Island (NWHI) chain. It’s Laysan Island and it has no fresh water, no airstrip, no helicopter pad, and no trees. [read more]
Stimulus Funds Help Provide a Brighter Future for Company
July 22, 2010
Some people consider 13 unlucky, but that number is just fine for one Missoula, Montana-based company. MCS Environmental, a small construction company, recently won its 13th competitive Recovery Act bid—an energy project at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Lima, Montana. The Recovery Act enabled the company to develop its desired niche—more energy efficiency projects. “The Recovery Act has definitely helped a lot,” MCS Project Manager Forrest Senterfeit said. “There are more projects out there. Wind, solar and ground source projects were considered luxury in the past—real high dollar projects that only larger companies were able to do. The stimulus allows us to be able to keep people busy while diversifying our company. Hopefully these projects will put us in a better position in the future when the economy recovers to do more to grow as a company.” [read more]
New Bridge Opens Roanoke River to Endangered Fish
July 6, 2010
A new bridge was formally unveiled in Roanoke, Virginia, in June 2010 spanning the Roanoke River, opening spawning habitat for the endangered Roanoke logperch and creating a new “blueway” for recreational boaters. “This project is one of great importance,” said Bridgett Costanzo from the Virginia Field Office. “It meets the needs of the Service by improving fish passage while also meeting the needs of the community.” The new bridge along Wiley Drive replaces one built more than fifty years ago that consisted of a cement apron and nine culverts, which impeded fish passage and recreational boaters. [read more]
Ground Broken on Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge Administration Building
June 22, 2010
The staff at Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) has endured ten years of multiple daily commutes between the administrative offices, two separate warehouses, and the refuge itself. Next year there should be one less destination. Ground was broken on May 27th on the new Deep Fork NWR Administration Building, and the atmosphere had the feel of a small town Oklahoma get-together. The mayors of neighboring Henryetta and Okmulgee, Okla., a representative of U.S. Congressman Dan Boren, local businessmen, the press, neighbors, and friends of the refuge joined Deep Fork NWR staff on a 92 degree day with 70 percent humidity in Okmulgee to get a look at the building site first hand. [read more]
New Jobs Created in $7.2 Million Recovery Act Project for San Luis National Wildlife Refuge; Construction of New Visitor Center and Administrative Headquarters Underway
June 08, 2010
Sacramento, CA – On June 1, 2010, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the start of construction on a new administrative headquarters and visitor center for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex (NWRC) in Merced County, California.West Coast Contractors of Nevada, Inc., of Reno, Nevada was awarded the $7.2 million contract for the project, which is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Work crews began clearing vegetation and preparing the project site the same week as the Secretary’s announcement. [read more]
Collaboration is the Key to Success: The Catalina Island Invasive Plant Species Roadside Treatment Project
June 01, 2010
Working together, we can accomplish so much more than working alone, especially when it comes to preserving and protecting land, water, and wildlife. That has been the experience of the many people and organizations that have been helping turn the tide against invasive species on Catalina Island in California. With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Carlsbad FWO Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program is collaborating with the Catalina Island Conservancy (CIC) on the Invasive Species Roadside Treatment Project. [read more]
Groundbreaking Stimulus Project Promotes Job Growth and Conservation at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
May 17, 2010
Shirley, N.Y. – Groundbreaking occurred today at the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge for a $9.775 million visitor center and headquarters for the nine national wildlife refuges located on Long Island. The facility, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will serve as the visitor center and headquarters for the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It will be located within an hour’s drive of more than 7.5 million people. [read more]
Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Replaces Boundary Fence, Entrance Gate Using ARRA Funds
May 12, 2010
The Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge near Castroville, California, boasts a colorful mosaic of coastal dunes, beaches, salt marshes, saline ponds, grasslands, and riparian habitats. It features one of the few remaining wetlands along the central California coast, which provides shelter for thousands of migratory birds traveling the Pacific Flyway. The refuge also protects several threatened and endangered species. [read more]
In Alaska, Green Energy is Blowing in the Wind
May 4, 2010
The Alaska Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is installing heat and electricity-generating wind turbines on Izembek and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges. The $3.4 million project funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will create several jobs. It is the largest Recovery Act investment in Alaska. [read more]
Recovery Act Supports Unique Internship Program in the Northeast Region
April 21, 2010
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has a long history of hiring interns to work on biological, habitat restoration and visitor services projects. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) enabled the Service’s Northeast Regional Office in Hadley, Mass., to offer a different type of internship experience this year. The office, which leads communications for the region, used Recovery Act funding to create an undergraduate internship program in partnership with the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. [read more]
Recovery Act Making a Difference in the Mississippi Delta
April 14, 2010
Rosedale, Miss. – “I’m goin’ to Rosedale, gonna take my rider by my side,” wailed blues legend Robert Johnson in his song “Traveling Riverside Blues.” Now the little town of Rosedale, Miss., immortalized by Johnson, is scheduled to benefit from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, popularly known as stimulus funds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to award a $36,000 stimulus contract to the Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee to restore Lake Perry Martin – an 18-acre lake the local community depends on for fishing. [read more]
April 1 Groundbreaking Celebrates $4.2 Million for Job Creation and Energy Efficient, Accessible Visitor Center for Missouri’s Mingo NWR
April 4, 2010
It’s out with the old and in with the new at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge as members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and refuge partners broke ground April 1, 2010. The “new” is an energy efficient and spacious Visitors Center, funded with $4.2 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The building will replace an aging and deteriorating facility and will benefit the more than 100,000 visitors Mingo NWR sees each year. [read more]
A Few Minutes with Nancy W. Russell, Rhino Contractors
March 29, 2010
Nancy W. Russell is an interesting woman; co-owner of a remodeling firm in Harlingen, Tex., citrus grove owner, and degreed speech pathologist and audiologist. Nancy and her company Rhino Contractors submitted the winning bids for two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Act projects at Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Alamo, Tex. rehabilitating a dirt road and two concrete walls. In addition, Nancy’s company has won another Service contract to rebuild a roof damaged by Hurricane Dolly at Laguna Atascosa (NWR) in Rio Hondo, Tex. She spoke about her first experience as a government contractor, her feelings on the Recovery Act, being a leader in her community, and what to do with excess oranges. [read more]
California Contractor Credits Stimulus Funding for Saving Family Owned Business
March 24, 2010
Joiner Construction of Lookout, California was on the brink of closing for good. The company’s owner, Craig Joiner, felt the hardships of the nation’s economy when the work contracts stopped coming in. For several months he spent long days with no work and no pay. Worries began to mount over the normal expenses of everyday life; food for family, keeping a roof over their heads, utilities, and trying to determine how Joiner Construction was going to remain a business. [read more]
Washington Company Rehires Laid Off Workers for Recovery Act Project at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
March 22, 2010
Less than two years ago, Five Rivers Construction, based in Longview, Washington, had more than fifty craftsmen and tradesmen in the field. By the end of 2009 that number dwindled to seven – the result of layoffs in a struggling economy. But the company prides itself in hiring ten of those employees back as it receives $2.6 million in Recovery Act funding for a boardwalk project at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Construction is slated to begin this spring, and that’s a welcome relief. [read more]
Recovery Act Project Creates Jobs at San Francisco Company and Benefits the National Elk Refuge
March 8, 2010
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is making a difference in local communities across the country. As just one example, $4.3 Million in Recovery Act funding is providing a major benefit for both Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction based in San Francisco, California and the National Elk Refuge, located near the heart of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. [read more]
Small but Very Welcome Recovery Act Contract Spreads the Wealth in North Carolina Town
February 22, 2010
“You have no idea how welcome this stimulus contract was,” says Lewis Penland Jr., co-owner of Penland Contracting in Franklin, N.C. “We had no jobs – zero. Our employees are more like our family than most companies. They’re just like us – they must pay power bills and mortgages and they have kids. As a part of work duties, we had them paint every piece of equipment we have, we changed the oil in all the equipment. We did just about everything we could just to give them 20 or 30 hours a week.” [read more]
Laid Off Employees Return to Work as Spokane Business Receives Recovery Act Award
February 4, 2010
There is good news for laid off workers at Spokane based Burton Construction, Inc. Thanks to a $590,000 award through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the company is hiring back employees for a project at the Kooskia National Fish Hatchery (NFH). Approximately 20 tradesmen and laborers will work on system upgrades to egg incubation systems including pump upgrades at the hatchery. Company officials say receiving the stimulus funding has a major impact on business and staffing. [read more]
A Different Beneficiary of the Recovery Act: ARRA Funding Improves Endangered Cat’s Chances
January 25, 2010
The “lomas” or clay hills of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) have been home to some of America’s treasures for thousands of years. However, in the last 75 years, an estimated 95 percent of the habitat in the lower Rio Grande Valley, vital to the highly endangered ocelot and other species that rely on lomas, has been decimated. But thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) and the hard work of Laguna Atascosa’s staff, the ocelots that call the refuge home will have more lomas to roam in the near future. [read more]
Native American Company Receives $355,000 in Stimulus Funding for Renewable Energy Project
January 04, 2010
Renewable energy is one of the nation’s fastest growing business sectors, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is at the forefront of the President’s new plan to ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025. Millions of dollars of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds have been earmarked to convert Service properties to green energy by the end of 2010. This effort is attracting a significant amount of interest among contractors large and small. [read more]
Secretary Salazar Gets Up-close Look at the Recovery Act in Action
December 11, 2009
Coleharbor, ND – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recently got a first-hand look at the benefits of the Stimulus program at Audubon National Wildlife Refuge. The Secretary visited the job site where workers are building a new environmentally friendly $6.1 million headquarters and visitor center. Secretary Salazar rolled up his sleeves, offering a helping hand at the facility being built by American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) funds. The new building will be certified through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) process and is being constructed using sustainable design and energy conservation technology. [read more]
Stimulating the Next Generation – Recovery Act Funds Provide Jobs, Training for Students
December 02, 2009
Las Vegas, N.M. – Carlos Herrera drives an ATV toward a marsh in the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the prairies of northern New Mexico. Fellow bio technician Jerome Romero scans the rolling hills as Herrera talks about their day-to-day lives during the summer as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) employees. Herrera and Romero step out of the ATV with their yellow, handheld pocket GIS technology, ready to map invasive weed patches that threaten native habitat. [read more]
Smokehouse Bay Restoration Project Gets a Boost from the Recovery Act
November 09, 2009
Bokeelia, FL – Smokehouse Bay Preserve, located on the north end of Pine Island about 25 miles west of Fort Myer, Fla., is home to Wood Storks and Snowy Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills and Tricolored Herons. And unfortunately, it’s also home to some of the past’s alteration of Florida’s natural state. Reversing those past practices is the work of Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program, which bought two parcels of land in Smokehouse Bay in 1999 and 2007 and is now in the process of restoring them. [read more]
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton Dedicates Site for Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and Headquarters
November 06, 2009
Paris, Tenn. – With Kentucky Lake glistening in the background and a bright sun warming the November morning, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton dedicated the site for the new visitor center and headquarters at the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday, Nov. 5. “There is no system in the world dedicated to the one purpose of wildlife conservation that can compare to ours,” said Hamilton. “This is going to be a great facility. It’s going to put people to work in this community. It’s more than just the jobs created. It’s the long-lasting legacy that will be here for the children.” [read more]
