| Stimulus funding being spent at Reelfoot |
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Posted: Thursday, September 16, 2010 3:57 pm
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, popularly known as stimulus funds, for $798,814 to REI Solutions of El Paso, Texas, to build a maintenance building at Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge near Union City.
Construction recently began on the building, which is used to house and service the refuge’s heavy equipment. The previous building was made of wood and more than 30 years old; the new building is prefabricated metal. The new building should be completed by October.
Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1941 to manage the northern third of Reelfoot Lake as a refuge for migratory birds. Additional lands acquired in Southwestern Kentucky expanded the refuge to its current 10,428 acres.
The proximity of Reelfoot Lake and the refuge to the Mississippi river has always made the area a major stopover and wintering ground for migratory waterfowl and bald eagles.
The Recovery Act provides $280 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which includes $115 million for construction, repair and energy efficiency retrofit projects at Service facilities, and $165 million for habitat restoration, deferred maintenance and capital improvement projects.
The agency worked through a rigorous merit-based process to identify and prioritize investments meeting 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.
The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on the recovery web site, which includes an interactive map that allows the public to track where and how the Department’s recovery dollars are being spent.
In addition, the public can submit questions, comments or concerns at recoveryact@fws.gov.
WCP 9.14.10
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