BLM district gets $6.2 million for projects
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An estimated $6.2 million in federal economic stimulus funds, which will be used for everything from abandoned mine cleanup to installing solar panels, has been earmarked for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Medford District.
The funds are part of $32.9 million from the federal program the agency has allotted for 60 projects in Oregon. Nationwide, the BLM is receiving a total of $305 million to fund more than 650 projects as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The Medford District is receiving nearly 20 percent of the funds for the region, the largest portion of any district in Oregon or Washington, said spokesman Jim Whittington.
Nine projects within the district have been identified, although it's not yet known how the money will be apportioned for each one, he said.
Three of the projects are mine-related, including remediation work on the Almeda Mine a few miles downstream from Galice on the north bank of the Rogue River; abandoned mine surveys in historical mining districts, and abandoned mine cleanup and safety improvements.
Two are solar-energy related. Solar panels will be installed on the Medford Interagency Office to provide electricity, and the solar electrical systems at the Rogue River Ranch and Zane Grey Cabin sites (both off the grid) will be improved on the lower Rogue.
Other projects include installing a septic system at Hyatt Lake Campground, road resurfacing and culvert replacement in the Glendale Resource Area, increasing biomass utilization through existing stewardship contracts, and maintaining and repairing trails throughout the district, including portions of the Pacific Crest Trail, Rogue River Trail and the Cathedral Hills Trail near Grants Pass.
"The money should be here pretty quick," Whittington said. "Some things we should be able to do fairly soon. We should see money to do all the projects this year."
Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at pfattig@mailtribune.com.
