Colorado gets stimulus funds for parks, public lands

DENVER, Colorado ” Mesa Verde National Park’s water system will get a makeover, wildlife habitat will be restored and bridges and roads on public land will be repaired thanks to $86.2 million in stimulus funds from the Interior Department.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday that the funds will go to several public agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Park Service.

The money is part of the $787 billion stimulus package passed by Congress earlier this year.

The Interior funds for Colorado include about $21 million for national parks, $9.2 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $20 million for BLM, $33 million for the Bureau of Reclamation and $573,000 for the U.S. Geological Survey.