this is interesting

The Forest Service and Department of Interior Prepare to Spend Stimulus Dollars Public lands managers asked to submit projects that will create private sector jobs

The Forest Service, National Park Service (NPS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are working overtime to meet tight deadlines in identifying projects eligible for funding in the economic stimulus bill. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, signed by President Obama last week, directs $3 billion to the Department of Interior and $1 billion to the Forest Service to fund road and trail projects, building and campground maintenance, abandoned mine restoration and to fire mitigation projects. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has asked the NPS and BLM to identify their highest priority projects in time to submit a list to the White House by March 3 and plans to hire a “stimulus czar” to oversee the dollars. The Interior Department will also launch a website listing each project, its cost, a chronicle of its progress and the number of jobs created. The Forest Service is operating under similarly tight deadlines. Each regional forest submitted its priority projects to the headquarters office last week and will submit its proposed list to the White House the first week of March. Agencies have been told they should submit a mix of projects including trail and campground restoration and that the highest priority will be placed on projects that will create the most private sector jobs. The agencies will put private sector contracts out for a bid in the next few months and plan to open regional offices around the country to facilitate the bidding process. Congress has said all the stimulus money must be obligated by September 2010. http://oia.informz.net/admin31/content/template.asp?sid=13223&ptid=311&brandid=3041&uid=756216023&mi=461015