National Economic Recovery Projects Funded on San Bernardino National Forest

US Forest Service
San Bernardino National Forest
602 S. Tippecanoe Ave San Bernardino, CA 92408
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Valerie Baca (909) 382-2711

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., March 11, 2009 — The San Bernardino National Forest is pleased to announce two projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that will create local jobs and promote economic recovery. These projects, which focus on trail work and energy efficiency improvements, were chosen as two of the first projects selected through the bill. Less than ten percent of total Forest Service projects have been
announced thus far.

“The San Bernardino National Forest has many partnership agreements in place and was well positioned for this first release of projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” said Forest Supervisor Jeanne Wade Evans. “We are very pleased to have two of the first projects announced and we’re anxious to work with our partners and the communities to create jobs quickly in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.”

Our first project will address the tremendous backlog of trail needs at the Forest, including maintenance, reconstruction and survey work. The crews plan to begin work next Monday, starting at the lower elevations and working in all three ranger districts of the Forest. The workforce will come from partnerships with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, the California Conservation Corps, and the newly established Urban Youth Conservation Corps that is hosted by the San Bernardino National Forest Association.

“These conservation jobs will provide multiple land benefits for the citizens of southern California doing work on your national forest. In addition, the Forest Service will provide these young adults with opportunities to learn about and compete for long-term conservation careers.” said Evans.

The second project improves energy efficiencies at the Forest headquarters building in San Bernardino. The project will employ contractors to replace the building’s outdated single-pane windows with energy efficient double-pane windows and modify the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The improvements will significantly reduce utility costs.

The Forest Service’s participation in the nation’s economic recovery program was announced last Friday by U.S. Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell. Nationwide, the Forest Service has received $1.15 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The first group of Forest Service projects created by the Act total $98 million nationwide, and they will create 1,500 jobs, giving the Agency the early opportunity to put people to work. The remaining projects, totaling $1.052 billion, will be announced shortly and will create an additional 23,500 jobs nationwide.

“The Forest Service anticipates playing a key role in our nation’s economic recovery,” said Chief Kimbell. “We are grateful for the confidence Congress has shown us and look forward to demonstrating how the Forest Service can create good jobs during difficult times,” Kimbell added.

More detailed information about new Forest Service projects and jobs in California will be forthcoming. Information on the overall U.S. Forest Service role in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act can be found at: http://fs.usda.gov/recovery. Information on the total federal effort can be found at http://www.recovery.gov.