Funding will be used to construct a permanent 7,500-square foot building
to be used as a visitor center and office headquarters at the facility
KIHEI, HI. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Department of the Interior has awarded a $4.9 million contract to Bodell Construction, Inc., under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
“Not only are we putting people to work in Hawai‘i, but we’re creating a visitor center that will benefit local residents, visitors, and the wildlife of Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge,” said Secretary Salazar. “This will only be the second visitor center for a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge in the State, and it has great potential to inform and educate people about their native wildlife.”
The ARRA funding will finance the construction of a new 7,500-square foot building to be used as a visitor center and refuge office for at the Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on the of Maui. The building replaces a small trailer and will feature an exhibit hall, a multi-purpose room, a reception area and a lobby/bookstore. The construction project is expected to employ approximately 20 full-time workers, though as many as 35 workers may be on site at any given time.
“This facility is a significant upgrade from the existing mobile office and will provide an environmentally friendly facility for the refuge,” Bodell Construction Estimating Director Evan Farnsworth said. “We are committed to continued work on the of Maui and to keeping our people employed there. Considering our project manager and our project superintendent both live on the island, I guess you could say Bodell Construction has significant personal interest in the Keālia Pond project.”
A 2006 fire destroyed a double-wide trailer that served as the refuge offices, and the staff has used a single-wide mobile building as office space since January 2007.
“We are currently open to the public, but with our single trailer we really have no way of adequately serving them,” Keālia Pond NWR Manager Glynnis Nakai said. “We have never had a building attached to the ground, and certainly we have never had a facility where we can educate and interact with the school children and other visitors. This is a very exciting time for us.”
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in 2009 gave $3 billion to the Department of the Interior.
"This project satisfies a longstanding need at the Keālia Pond facility and helps us meet our goal of creating and maintaining jobs," Secretary Salazar said. "In addition, this construction helps the staff at Keālia Pond in their mission to protect valuable wetlands and serve the public.”
The ARRA funds are part of a stimulus package that is an important component of the Presidents 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 Americas 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,” 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
