Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Forest Service to get $228 million to fix roads, bridges

National forest roads and bridges in 31 states, including Oregon, will get long-needed repairs under an economic stimulus spending plan announced by the Obama administration. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today that $228 million in economic stimulus money will be used for road maintenance and decommissioning and watershed restoration in dozens of national forests. A total of 106 projects in 31 states will be paid for as part of the $1.15 billion in economic stimulus funding awarded to the Forest Service, Vilsack said, adding that the projects should improve access to forest lands, boost public health and safety and preserve natural resources throughout the nation. "The rehabilitation of roads will improve water quality by reducing sediments in nearby streams and help to restore natural resources and habitats for fish in areas impacted by deterioration and erosion of road surfaces," he said. The projects announced today make up a small fraction of the estimated $10 billion road maintenance backlog the agency faces...AP

Where are the funds for "new" roads? ha! If the Forest Circus can't maintain these lands they should sell them to someone who can.

No comments: