Secretary Salazar Announces $242,000 to Columbia FWCO
to Replace River Crossing to Benefit Threatened Niangua Darter
and for Landowner Partnership Project
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Missouri will receive $242,000 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will support the replacement of a road crossing over the Niangua River within the Osage River Basin to benefit resident fish species including the federally threatened Niangua darter. The funding will also support a second project in the Meramec Basin, which will involve landowners in activities to improve water quality protection and restoration of aquatic habitats.
“The economic recovery investments that the Department of the Interior is making will create jobs by building trails, restoring habitat, upgrading visitors’ centers, and protecting national treasures in communities across America, while leaving a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren,” said Secretary Salazar.
Replacing the river crossing, currently containing under-sized, box culverts, will result in the reconnection of approximately 26 miles of the Niangua River and facilitate intra-population movements and seasonal migrations of the threatened Niangua darter.
The darter occurs in 11 counties within the Osage River Basin and in clear upland creeks and small to medium sized rivers with slight to moderate currents, requiring continuously flowing streams with silt-free gravel and rock bottoms. Population declines are primarily due to habitat loss from reservoir construction and stream channelization. Current threats include isolation of the eight remaining populations due to stream fragmentation from low water flow or discontinuity at road crossing culverts. Facilitating seasonal migration would allow access to higher quality or spawning habitats that may currently be isolated upstream of the road crossing.
“In a win-win situation for both the darter and the local community of Dallas County, Missouri, the new free span bridge should be submerged less frequently and for shorter durations during spring floods,” said Joanne Grady, fish biologist at Columbia FWCO. “The county will also see reduced maintenance costs with this design.”
The second project in Missouri will benefit populations of scaleshell and spectaclecase mussels (both federally listed) in the Meramec River Watershed, including the Lower Bourbeuse Aquatic Conservation Area. Non-point source pollution and stream sedimentation are considered serious threats to mussels in the Meramec River Watershed. Livestock that graze in riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian corridors and in streams create conditions that lead to excessive sedimentation, nutrient loading, poor riparian corridor and stream bank instability conditions in much of the Meramec basin. The Lower Bourbeuse Aquatic Conservation Area project will improve or maintain water quality by creating or increasing the acres of riparian corridor bordering streams, improving habitat for fish and mussels. Working with the landowners and our state and federal partners, we can have healthy aquatic habitats and the farmers can maintain healthy lands and cattle, while providing economic opportunities in these communities.
“The Midwest Region has a long tradition of enjoying the fish, wildlife, lakes, rivers and prairies we are so fortunate to have," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius. “The projects we will undertake in the Midwest as part of ARRA will provide jobs, increase the energy efficiency of government buildings, protect and enhance our natural resources, provide greater opportunities for people to enjoy those natural resources, and perhaps most importantly, help current and future generations understand and share our passion for the natural world.”
Funding for these projects and hundreds more across the nation comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Of the $3 billion appropriated to the Department of the Interior, the Act provides $280 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – which includes $115 million for construction, repair and energy efficiency retrofit projects at Service facilities, and $165 million for habitat restoration, deferred maintenance and capital improvement projects. The Service will benefit from an additional $10 million, which is administered by the Department of Transportation and is not included in the Service’s $280 million appropriation that will be used to rebuild and improve roads on several national wildlife refuges. Projects will immediately create local jobs in the communities where they are located, while stimulating long-term employment and economic opportunities for the American public.
Recovery Act projects address long-standing priority needs identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through its capital planning process. The Service worked through a rigorous merit-based process to identify and prioritize investments meeting the criteria put forth in the Recovery Act: namely, that a project addresses the Department’s highest priority mission needs; generates the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time; and creates lasting value for the American public.
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Department of the Interior is making an investment in conserving Americas timeless treasures – our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage – while helping middle class families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, employing youth and promoting community service.
For a full list of funded projects nationwide, go to the Department’s Recovery Web Site at http://recovery.doi.gov/">. For a list of Service projects, click on the Service’s logo at the bottom of the page. Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department of the Interior’s economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on the recovery web site, which will include an interactive map that enables the public to track where and how the Department’s recovery dollars are being spent. In addition, the public can submit questions, comments or concerns at recoveryact@fws.gov.
Secretary Salazar also has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force. Henderson and the Task Force will work closely with the Department of the Interior’s Inspector General to ensure the Recovery Program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility and transparency that President Obama has set.
The project costs listed are maximum amounts authorized and not set prices to complete the described projects. All projects are subject to federal rules and contracting practices to ensure appropriated funds are spent in a legal, accountable and transparent manner. All projects are subject to a competitive bidding process and contractors should bid each project based upon the complete project description and base their bid accordingly.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov .
