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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Biden-Harris Administration has announced investments of more than $36 million in nearly 100 projects to improve water quality, roads, trails, bridges and fish habitat on national forests and grasslands nationwide.
The announcement is part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda and the Administration's work to build a clean energy economy while creating economic opportunity in communities across the country.
The funds are delivered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service through their Legacy Roads and Trails Program, which supports 98 projects in fiscal year 2023. The program funds projects, along with other restoration and infrastructure work, to improve water quality and aquatic habitat while making transportation systems safer, more sustainable and durable.
In addition to improving roads and trails for communities, businesses, and visitors, the program creates jobs, including those in stream restoration, environmental design and heavy equipment operations.
"President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to make a difference in the lives of Americans, and especially across our national forests and grasslands," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "Through these investments, we are ensuring roads and bridges on national forests and grasslands can withstand the unpredictable climate and weather so visitors and surrounding communities stay safe, and so that millions of Americans continue to enjoy the clean water and recreation opportunities forests and grasslands provide."
The Legacy Roads and Trails Program supports projects like Little Gold Creek, recently completed on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in southwest Montana. This project replaced a narrow culvert on a Forest Service road with a larger, more flood resilient design that provides uninterrupted passage for fish and other aquatic species, including the endangered bull trout, which is being affected by the changing climate. This project and others like it improve infrastructure durability, protect water quality, and ensure public access by preventing roads from flooding and washing out. Replacing culverts also improves access and safety for visitors and surrounding communities.