$497,000 Approved for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Construction Projects in Montana
Project part of $50 Million in repairs to be done to address aging wildlife refuge and fish hatchery infrastructure
WASHINGTON— U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced $497,000 in funding approved for critical U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service infrastructure in Montana. $179,000 will go to replace irrigation laterals in Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. $170,000 will go to replace the Public Use Boat Dock and repair the Public Use Boat Launch and Public Use Accessible Trail in Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge. $87,000 will go to replace the public use toilet at River March Campground in Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. $61,000 will be used to repair the Public Use Observation Tower in Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge. This is part of $50 million going to a list of projects across the country to address dire maintenance and repair projects contributing to the $1.4 billion backlog facing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages 566 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management areas and operates national fish hatcheries, fish technology centers and fish health centers. The agency is responsible for over $46 billion in constructed real property assets that include over 25,000 structures (e.g., buildings and water management structures) as well as nearly 14,000 roads, bridges, and dams.
“The President is a builder, he loves to build and he loves our public lands, so it is a natural fit that the Trump Administration is dedicating so much attention to rebuilding our aging Fish and Wildlife Service infrastructure. These approved projects are more than just line items on an Excel spreadsheet. For many sportsmen and women, National Wildlife Refuges are the only opportunities they have to hunt or fish," said Secretary Zinke. "These projects have a tangible effect on a person’s experience when hunting, fishing or visiting a wildlife refuge. Today’s announcement is another step toward eliminating the $1.4 billion in maintenance facing our nation’s refuges and hatcheries. It’s another step toward prioritizing infrastructure because it is an investment that bolsters local economies. And it is another step in prioritizing access for all Americans to our public lands.”
Secretary Zinke has made tackling Interior’s deferred maintenance backlog one of his top priorities. In April, he signed a memorandum of understanding committing Interior to follow President Trump’s One Federal Decision framework for processing of environmental reviews and permits for major infrastructure projects. In March, Interior announced the Secretary’s partnership with Congress on a bipartisan bill to address rebuild and repair National Park Service infrastructure.
Approved Fiscal Year 2018 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service construction projects:
| Unit Name | Project Title | State | Total |
| Arctic National Wildlife Refuge | 1002 Area Oil Exploration Readiness - Improvements to existing facilities and construction of outbuildings to support heightened levels of activity. | AK | 4,000,000 |
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Salamatof Public Access Boardwalk. | AK | 950,000 |
| Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Deadman Bay Public Use Cabin. | AK | 148,000 |
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Bear Creek Public Access Trail. | AK | 77,000 |
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Salamatof Public Use Boat Ramp. | AK | 230,000 |
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Pollard Loop Public Access Trail. | AK | 75,000 |
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Doroshin Bay Public Use Cabin. | AK | 50,000 |
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Drake Lake Public Access Trail. | AK | 75,000 |
| Togiak National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Togiak Public Use Cabin. | AK | 127,000 |
| Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate North Frazer Public Use Cabin. | AK | 52,000 |
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Moose Creek Public Use Trail. | AK | 77,000 |
| Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge | Facility Improvements to Increase Access and Management Capabilities. | AL | 5,443,000 |
| Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Woodland Pond Public Access Trail. | AR | 195,000 |
| Norfork National Fish Hatchery | Repair Raceway Drain Areas. | AR | 650,000 |
| Alchesay National Fish Hatchery | Rehabilitate Water Supply Pipelines: Install a Bank of Radial Flow Settlers for B-Bank Raceways, Rehabilitate Service Building 2. | AZ | 25,000 |
| Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge | Levee and Water Control Structure Rehabilitation, Phase I of III. | CA | 6,400,000 |
| Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Main Public Access Road. | CA | 301,000 |
| Modoc National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Public Access Road. | CA | 50,000 |
| San Luis National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Sousa Marsh Public Observation Platform. | CA | 163,000 |
| Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Imperial Beach Blvd Public Use Observation Platform. | CA | 91,000 |
| Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Hookton Slough Vault Toilet at Hunting Parking Lot. | CA | 125,000 |
| National Black-footed Ferret Center | Pre-conditioning Pens and Facility Rehabilitation, Repair, and New Construction. | CO | 3,588,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Lake Ladora Public Restroom at Fishing Access Point. | CO | 70,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Lake Mary Public Access Floating Boardwalk. | CO | 616,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Mary Lake Fishing Pier. | CO | 65,000 |
| Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Dixie Mainline Public Access Road. | FL | 107,000 |
| Savannah National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Route #300 Public Access Road. | GA | 168,000 |
| Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Keithsburg Boat Landing Parking Lot. | IA | 126,000 |
| Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Bear Lake Public Use Road. | ID | 95,000 |
| Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Bellrose Levee on Big Creek Road. | IL | 204,000 |
| Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Falling Timber Public Access Bridge, Shape Charge Road. | IN | 673,000 |
| Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Public Parking Areas and Kiosk. | KS | 105,000 |
| Parker River National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Public Access Boardwalk Trail. | MA | 382,000 |
| North Attleboro National Fish Hatchery | Replace Flow Meters. | MA | 31,000 |
| Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Spurwink Public Fishing Pier. | ME | 294,000 |
| Pendills Creek and Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery | Effluent Treatment System Modernization. | MI | 1,970,006 |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge-Winona District | Rehabilitate Winona Public Fishing and Boating Facilities. | MN | 117,000 |
| Rydell National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Public Use Observation Deck. | MN | 375,000 |
| Fergus Falls WMD | Replace Stony Brook Waterfowl Production Area Water Control Structure. | MN | 77,000 |
| Hillside National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Tipton Bayou Public Use Trail Culverts. | MS | 67,000 |
| St Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Armstrong Ditch Public Access Bridge. | MS | 447,000 |
| Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Public Use Boat Dock and Repair Public Use Boat Launch. | MT | 114,000 |
| Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Public Use Toilet at River March Campground. | MT | 87,000 |
| Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Public Use Accessible Trail. | MT | 56,000 |
| Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Public Use Observation Tower. | MT | 61,000 |
| Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Irrigation Laterals. | MT | 179,000 |
| Edenton National Fish Hatchery | Replace Cement Catch Basins, Rehabilitate Shad Spawning Building. | NC | 956,000 |
| Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge | Replace West Arrowwood Coulee Lake Public Access Trail. | ND | 194,000 |
| J Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge | Replace 3 Public Use Pit Toilets. | ND | 166,000 |
| Audubon National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Wetland Learning Site Public Access Trail. | ND | 307,000 |
| J Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Public Picnic Area and Access Trail. | ND | 40,000 |
| Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery | Replace Sturgeon Building. | ND | 100,000 |
| Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Public Restroom at Headquarters Facility. | NM | 180,000 |
| Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Public Access Trail Route #303. | NM | 164,000 |
| Southwestern Native Aquatic Resources and Recovery Center | Repair Well 3 and Generator. | NM | 18,000 |
| Lahontan National Fish Hatchery | Water Re-use and Well System Modernization. | NV | 3,500,000 |
| Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Stillwater Point Reservoir Public Use Observation Platform. | NV | 160,000 |
| Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Public Access Road, West Gate. | OK | 80,000 |
| Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge | Repair Public Access Bridges, Headquarters Entrance and Blue Beaver Creek. | OK | 76,000 |
| Ozark Plateau National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Public use Pavilion on Looney Tract. | OK | 84,000 |
| Little River National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Black Creek Public Access Road and Parking. | OK | 173,000 |
| Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Public Access Parking and Observation Tower, Route #103. | OK | 125,000 |
| Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Public Access Boardwalk, Cussetah Bottoms. | OK | 282,000 |
| Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Public Access Road, Route #011. | OK | 282,000 |
| Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Sand Creek Fishing Access Road. | OK | 245,000 |
| Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Montezuma Creek Public Access Road and Construct Parking Area. | OK | 64,000 |
| Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Public Access Road. | OK | 192,000 |
| Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery | Rehabilitate Oklahoma Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office Building. | OK | 191,000 |
| Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Pump House Public Access Bridge. | OR | 1,397,000 |
| Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Gaston Public Access Bridge. | OR | 577,000 |
| Eagle Creek National Fish Hatchery | Replace Sand Filter, Remove Pollution Abatement Pond Sediment Load. | OR | 176,000 |
| John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum | Rehabilitate Public Access Trail. | PA | 160,000 |
| Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge | Replace Northeast Canal Public Access Bridge. | PR | 550,000 |
| Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery | Rehabilitate Drainage Canal, Rehabilitate Pond #3. | SC | 317,000 |
| Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure. | SD | 98,000 |
| Waubay National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Public Use Shelter. | SD | 75,000 |
| Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery | Replace Fish Pond Liners (2 of 35 Ponds). | SD | 424,000 |
| Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Sandy Point Public Access Road. | TX | 109,000 |
| Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge | Rehabilitate Public Campground and Picnic Area. | TX | 86,000 |
| Uvalde National Fish Hatchery | Repair Spurgeon Well. | TX | 30,000 |
| Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge | Repair Public Access Trail. | VA | 647,000 |
| Dwight D Eisenhower National Fish Hatchery | Rehabilitate Water Treatment System. | VT | 513,000 |
| Carson National Fish Hatchery | Repair Adult Fish Holding Pond Surface. | WA | 395,000 |
| Quilcene National Fish Hatchery | Repair Raceway Decks C and D with Epoxy, Rehabilitate Production Raceway Covers on D Deck. | WA | 422,000 |
| Abernathy Fish Technology Center | Replace Inclined Screens. | WA | 61,000 |
| Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge | Visitor Center and Administrative Building. | WV | 7,000,000 |
| Total, Line Item Construction Projects | 50,000,000 |
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