Economic stimulus is on its way to the U.S. Forest Service.
"The bill language authorizes $1.15 billion for the Forest Service," National Media Officer Allison Stewart said. "We're excited. We're just waiting for some direction."
Officials on the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) are working to make sure that when the direction comes through they get their forest's share.
"We have a team that is working closely with the regional office (in Milwaukee)," Allegheny National Forest Spokesperson Kathy Mohney said.
According to Congressman Glenn Thompson's (R-5th) office, $650 million of that is earmarked for "capital improvement and maintenance." The remainder targets "wildland fire management."
With more than 150 other national forests vying for the money, the stimulus breaks down to about $7 million per forest.
The money does not have to be evenly distributed among the forests, nor is there a formula for deciding how much goes to each, Stewart said.
The breakdown will be based, to a certain extent, on the availability of projects.
The Forest Service has requested lists of projects that are ready to go from all of the national forests.
"The chief queried for projects that are ready to go immediately," Stewart said. "Next week, the chief and her leadership team will consider all the projects."
ANF Supervisor Gail Kimbell isn't alone in looking for projects that are ready to go. President Barack Obama is pushing "shovel-ready" projects. With pressure from the top, the Forest Service may have a list of projects that will receive stimulus funding by the first week of March, Stewart said.
The $650 million in capital improvement money is further broken down to specify "priority road, bridge and trail maintenance and decommissioning, including related watershed restoration and ecosystem enhancement projects; facilities improvement, maintenance and renovation; remediation of abandoned mine sites; and support costs necessary to carry out this work."
The Allegheny Defense Project and Tionesta Valley Snowmobile Club have some ideas for appropriate projects in the ANF.
"There are over 3,000 miles of roads in the Allegheny National Forest," ADP Forest Watch Coordinator Ryan Talbott said. "Many of these roads should be decommissioned since they are a major source of erosion and sedimentation and are no longer needed."
Numerous sites with infrastructure needs could also be addressed.
"Instead of closing campgrounds and eliminating services, the Forest Service could immediately put people to work to make the necessary infrastructure improvements that would keep these areas open to the public," ADP Board Member Cathy Pedler said. "As the economy has contracted, more people are staying closer to home for vacation plans. Improving the Allegheny's recreational facilities is critical to providing a quality experience for both locals and the visiting public."
Karen Atwood, secretary of the Tionesta Valley Snowmobile Club, said the rehabilitation of Corydon Cemetery, the site where Chief Cornplanter is buried, should be on the priority list.
Due to erosion, the cemetery's stability is threatened, she said. "Our government owes it to the river valley families whose relatives were re-interred there as well as to Chief Cornplanter's heirs and to the Seneca Nation to stabilize the cemetery and protect this sacred ground."
Those are far from the only needs of the Forest Service. Kimbell said there is a "huge backlog of shovel-ready projects" on national forest lands.
A list of "shovel-ready" projects was not available from the ANF.
In addition to providing funds to clear that backlog, the stimulus package will be putting people to work. "We expect to create almost 30,000 new private sector jobs over the next two years," Kimbell said in a release about the bill. "We are creating good private sector jobs during difficult economic times. We are also accomplishing some of our highest priority stewardship work on public and state and private lands."
More information about the impact of the bill on the Forest Service is available by visiting www.fs.fed.us.