American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects for Fire Island National Seashore

Date: September 29, 2009
Contact: Paula Valentine, 631-687-4759
Contact: Sean McGuinness, 631-687-4753

PATCHOGUE, NEW YORK – The pace of work on the Patchogue-Watch Ferry Terminal has picked up with a jolt from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Additional stimulus money will benefit Sailors Haven Marina and the Fire Island Lighthouse where Recovery Act projects are slated to begin in the coming months.

"While these projects will initially support a number of jobs during construction, it's the long-term investment in the park that we see as a stimulus to the economy here," said Fire Island National Seashore Superintendent Chris Soller.

"In the Village of Patchogue, an expanded ferry terminal building will accommodate larger groups," Soller said. "It can be used for a variety of programs and functions. At the Fire Island Lighthouse, display of the rare original 1857 Fresnel lens is sure to attract thousands of additional visitors to Fire Island."

The $6.3 million of Fire Island Recovery Act projects are among the nearly 800 projects and $750 million that will be invested in national parks before the end of September 2010. The Fire Island Recovery Act projects:

• $6,036,000 to replace more than 2,000 feet of bulkhead (hardened shoreline) along the Patchogue River and complete unfunded components of the Patchogue-Watch Hill Ferry Terminal.
• $175,000 to stabilize, repair and display the historic Fresnel lens that was originally installed in the Fire Island Lighthouse in 1858.
• $143,000 to repair 153 feet of failed bulkhead (hardened shoreline) at the Sailors Haven Marina.

A full list of National Park Service projects is available at www.interior.gov/recovery/nps. These projects are long-standing NPS priorities and meet Recovery Act criteria to quickly create jobs to stimulate local economies and create lasting value for the park and the American public.

Contract opportunities for all American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects are announced at the FedBizOpps web site: www.fbo.gov. More information about the Recovery Act and the Department of the Interior is at www.doi.gov/recovery. For more information on the government wide Recovery Act, visit www.recovery.gov.

Learn more about Fire Island National Seashore at www.nps.gov/fiis.

-NPS-