NPS Alaska Awards $13 million in Contracts

The American Alpine Institute just received the following email from Denali National Park:

ANCHORAGE – The National Park Service in Alaska has recently awarded more than $13 million in construction and other contracts from funding received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by Congress last year.

The three largest projects will result in major improvements in the front country of Denali National Park and Preserve. The park’s wastewater treatment lagoon will be replaced and its collection system will be rehabilitated. The $5.35 million project – awarded to Northstar Paving and Construction of Anchorage -- includes a new 100,000-gallon per day wastewater treatment facility to replace the lagoon.

A second project in the Denali front country will be a new emergency services and law enforcement facility will be built, replacing an aging dispatch office. The facility will provide heated and secure parking for multiple emergency vehicles and work space for the ranger staff, as well as house the park and regional communications center. An additional Denali project is the rehabilitation and replacement of a major utility system in the front country employee housing area. The work includes removing and replacing three large underground storage tanks and replacing with above-ground tanks; replacing electrical transformers with new, high-efficiency models; and the replacement of waterlines and waste water collection lines. The $7.49 million projects were awarded this month to Dawson Construction of Bellingham WA.

In Glacier Bay National Park, McGraw Custom Construction of Sitka was awarded a $539,600 contract to demolish and replace storage buildings used as boat, vehicle and equipment storage in winter months.

Seven NPS units in Alaska will benefit from energy audits funded by the Recovery Act funds. The audits will evaluate energy and water consumption, identify energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at the parks, and demonstrate to the visiting public the technologies and opportunities for sustainable management. The contract for $101,214 was awarded to Gable Associates of California.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appropriated $3 billion to the Department of the Interior. Of that amount, $750 million in funding goes to the National Park Service.

The ARRA funds are part of a stimulus package that is 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. 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, 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.