MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: Phil Kloer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 404-679-7125; [email protected]
Who: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What: Restoration project receives funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Where: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, near Folkston, Ga.
When: Construction scheduled to begin in June
Details: Renovation of the Suwannee River Sill and new road construction at the refuge will provide the public with safer, year-round access to the Suwannee River, improve passage for small boats, canoes and kayaks, and restore the natural flow of the Suwannee River.
The Service has provided the Federal Highway Administration with $1 million in stimulus funds to upgrade an existing gravel road to an asphalt surface and build a new boat ramp, access lane, and parking lot for the public. USFWS will separately award additional stimulus contracts to private companies for related improvements at the refuge.
“Now that part of the Sill is coming out and the water is flowing more freely, there is the potential for real habitat restoration. It will also benefit hunters and anglers, as well as all the people who like to canoe and kayak through this beautiful area,” said Jerry McCollum, president and CEO of Georgia Wildlife Federation, a non-profit organization that supports the project.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 gave $3 billion to the Department of the Interior. The ARRA funds represent an important component of the President’s plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov and http://www.fws.gov/southeast.