FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 4, 2010

Contact: David Barna (202) 208-6843

david_barna@nps.gov

$129 Million Saved by National Park Service Will Fund Additional 30

Projects Nationwide

WASHINGTON, DC- The National Park Service (NPS) announced today that favorable pricing on its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) large construction projects has resulted in savings of over 20 percent totaling approximately $129 million. The Service will use these dollars to fund an additional 30 high priority projects across the country putting additional people to work in ways that will leave a permanent legacy for our national parks through critical facility improvements, infrastructure repairs, and energy efficiency enhancements.

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to do so much more with our Recovery Act funding than we originally planned. Certainly the market dynamics play a significant role in the pricing we’re seeing, but I also credit the execution and hard work of our team. These projects represent critical priorities for us that will also benefit the economy and create jobs in the near term,” said Jon Jarvis, director of the National Park Service.

The list of newly funded construction projects includes:

The transformation of a former military facility into an education and

research campus at Acadia National Park. The project will

reconfigure roads, remodel three buildings into classrooms and labs

and complete the majority of work converting the base to the Schoodic

Educational and Research Center.

The installation of photovoltaic cells on Alcatraz Island in Golden Gate

National Recreation Area to replace the existing diesel generated

power on the island.

The rehabilitation of the 138–year-old Catoctin Aqueduct, part of C & O

Canal National Historic Park. The project will restore two missing

arches of what was once called the “Most Beautiful Aqueduct” on the

canal, replace missing handrail sections and generally improve its

condition and lifespan.

The NPS is also announcing the replacement of 26 projects with 36

additional projects totaling $9.3 million. Projects are being replaced

for various reasons, such as prior completion with non-ARRA funds or

because they cannot be completed within the Recovery Act timeframe. The

NPS selected the replacement projects from existing contingency lists using established merit-based criteria for expediency of implementation, job creation potential and ability to address high-priority mission needs.

The NPS established and followed a formal but efficient process for making timely decisions on project funding reallocations and project substitutions to ensure they are supporting the ARRA goals of quickly stimulating the economy and creating jobs. Projects that are being replaced will remain priorities for the NPS, so will likely be completed with other funding in future years.

The current list of the NPS ARRA projects can be found at the following

link:

http://recovery.doi.gov/press/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/nps_arra-project-list_march_2010.pdf

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $3 billion to the Department of the Interior. Of that amount, $750 million went to the NPS to fund job-creating investments in critical infrastructure and facilities, trail restoration, abandoned mine remediation, and energy efficiency and renewable energy.

-NPS-

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                                                    Date: February 23, 2010

                                       Contact: Hugh Vickery (202) 208-6416

                                         Jeffrey Olson, NPS, (202) 208-6843

 Despite Economic Downturn, Americans and Foreign Visitors Flocked to Our

                          National Parks in 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ten million more Americans and foreign tourists visited the nation’s national parks last year than in 2008, a 3.9 percent increase that marked the fifth busiest year ever for the National Park System, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today.

“People both here and abroad know that our national parks are America’s best idea, even during an economic downturn,” Salazar said. “Our national parks are treasures that tell the story of our country and celebrate its beauty and culture, and they provide vacation bargains for families living on a tight budget. They offer priceless opportunities to inspire adults and children alike with our wonderful natural, cultural and historic heritage.”

“In an increasingly sedentary society, our parks give parents a place to connect their children with nature and learn to appreciate the good feelings that come from healthy green exercise,” he said.

More than 285 million people visited national parks and other units of the National Park System during 2009, up from just under 275 million in 2008.

This fell just short of the all-time visitation record of 287.2 million in 1987.

Possible reasons for the increase in visitation include three weekends last summer when the Park Service waived entrance fees, the visits by President Obama and his family to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, the publicity generated by Ken Burns’ documentary on the history of the national parks, a decline in gasoline prices, and the continued strong exchange rate the Euro enjoys against the dollar.

Salazar highlighted the benefits national parks provide to our economy. A study released today revealed that the National Park System supports more than 223,000 jobs and nearly $14 billion in economic activity across the country.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park continued its reign as the most-visited national park in 2009, attracting 9.4 million visitors, while the Blue Ridge Parkway was the most visited unit of the system with nearly 16 million visitors.

The top 10 most visited national parks were:

      ·    Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 9,491,437 visitors

      ·    Grand Canyon National Park, 4,348,068

      ·    Yosemite National Park, 3,737,472

      ·    Yellowstone National Park, 3,295,187

      ·    Olympic National Park, 3,276,459

      ·    Rocky Mountain National Park, 2,822,325

      ·    Zion National Park, 2,735,402

      ·    Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 2,589,288

      ·    Grand Teton National Park, 2,580,081

      ·    Acadia National Park, 2,227,698

                                    ###

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