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| Steven Hall, Communications Director, 303-239-3672 |
Colorado company awarded $880,000 in stimulus funding to replace Park Center Well
Cañon City, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management Royal Gorge Field Office awarded an $880,000 contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to Hydro Resources Colorado, LLC., a well construction and pump installation contracting company based in Fort Lupton, Colorado.
The company will drill a new well to replace the deteriorating 80-year old Park Center Well near Cañon City, Colorado. This well has provided municipal water for more than 40 years to Park Center Water District users. After the project is completed, the BLM will begin work on a second contract for the abandonment of the old well.
“Park Center Water District users could no longer rely on water from the Park Center Well when it began to fail over a year ago; posing a threat to public safety. The Park Center Well is one of the primary water sources for 4,000 Cañon City residents,” said Keith Berger, Field Manager for the Royal Gorge Field Office.
Under the ARRA, the Department of the Interior received $3 billion. Of that amount, $305 million in funding went to the BLM.
The ARRA funds are part of a stimulus package that is an important component of the President's plan to jumpstart the economy so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under the ARRA, Interior is making an investment in conserving America's timeless treasures – our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage – while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives, employing youth and promoting community service.
“With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said.
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 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 to work closely with Interior’s Inspector General and ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency set by President Obama.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. 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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