Bureau of Land Management

GAOA LRF funds crucial investments that repair aging infrastructure so visitors can continue to enjoy public lands for generations to come. The 120-acre Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) protects historical, cultural, and natural resources in Florida, including sensitive habitats, special status species, and its namesake lighthouse. However, the shoreline is collapsing and retreating due to accelerated erosion, losing approximately 7 feet of shoreline each year, threatening the historic lighthouse structure and surrounding natural habitats. Trees and other vegetation have also fallen into the water, creating safety hazards for visitors, especially for those boating and using the shoreline beaches. The Shoreline Stabilization Project at Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse ONA aims to resolve safety concerns and protect the foundation of the lighthouse and adjacent buildings. Further shoreline erosion will be mitigated with a combination of engineered and living shoreline protection structures and embankment repairs. This project, one of several GAOA LRF projects at Jupiter Inlet, will enhance safe recreational access, resource protection, and habitat rehabilitation.

National Park Service

GAOA LRF-funded Maintenance Action Teams (MATs) at the National Park Service (NPS) provide on-the-ground training in a variety of trades, including historic restoration and preservation work, to a new generation of tradespeople and public land stewards. Through the GAOA LRF MAT program, an NPS MAT team completed preservation work on monuments throughout Andersonville National Cemetery. Located in Andersonville, Georgia, the cemetery was established to provide a permanent place of honor for those who died in military service to our country and today contains nearly 20,000 interments. Preservation efforts included power washing, hand cleaning with biological cleaner, and rinsing. The team also handwashed, waxed, and buffed all bronze surfaces; repaired small stone chips, replaced loose and missing mortar; and repaired, cleaned, and restored the Minnesota, Maine, Indiana, New York, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Odd Fellows Monuments.
 

Bureau of Indian Education

The GAOA LRF supports the demolition of deteriorating assets on Bureau of Indian Education-funded school campuses to help address health and safety hazards for the thousands of students and staff in Tribal communities. This project demolished 266,058 square feet of uninhabitable and unsafe buildings at five school campuses in the Navajo region across Arizona and New Mexico: Lukachukai Boarding School, Mariano Lake Community School, Ojo Encino Day School, Pueblo Pintado Community School, And T’iis Nazbas Community School. Removing these abandoned buildings and resolving the associated health and safety hazards has improved the educational environment for students, teachers, and staff.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

GAOA LRF infrastructure investments reduce annual operating costs and maintenance needs, update inefficient utility systems, and improve working conditions for employees, volunteers, and visitors. Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge spans 44,000 acres of diverse habitats in southern Illinois and offers recreation opportunities including hiking, canoeing, hunting, camping, picnicking, photography, and birdwatching. The refuge’s visitor center was beyond its useful lifecycle, with leaking water and sewer lines and outdated campground facilities. This project has replaced the visitor center with a modern facility, is repairing or replacing water and sewer lines, and is modernizing campground facilities and related outdoor recreation facilities including shower buildings, campgrounds, and campground roads. The project is making the refuge safer and more attractive to visitors, while saving the facility thousands of dollars in lost revenue from water and sewer line leaks.

Bureau of Land Management

GAOA LRF investments preserve public and recreational access by repairing critical roads, restoring scenic drives, replacing bridges, and updating trails and pathways. The Moab Recreation Site project in Utah covered two separate sites that, combined, offer a wide variety of recreation activities such as mountain biking, hiking, climbing, and river rafting. The first phase of the project addressed safety issues at Poison Spider Trailhead, which suffered drainage and flood damage that interrupted recreation access and created hazards for travelers. This project corrected these issues by upgrading existing drainage structures and constructing new ones. Additionally, the access road and parking lot were resurfaced for future paving. The project’s second phase repaired flash flood damage at Big Bend Campground and implemented corrective actions to prevent future damage. Safety gates were also added to restrict vehicle access during times of flooding in the campground. These investments enable site infrastructure to withstand large storm events and alleviate safety concerns for locals and visitors alike.

National Park Service

GAOA LRF preserves our Nation’s natural wonders. Mammoth Cave National Park encompasses portions of the world’s longest-known cave system and is home to thousands of years of human history. This project replaced deteriorating portions of the cave trail routes on approximately one-mile of cave trail used on tours between the New Entrance and the Frozen Niagara Entrance, which had not seen a major investment since the 1930s. Work included constructing the hardened trail surface, installing curbing along the sides of the trails, replacing existing handrails with stainless steel handrails, and upgrading steps along the route. These investments prevent visitors from straying off the tour routes and causing damage to cultural and natural resources while also providing a safe and quality experience for the hundreds of thousands of people who come to Mammoth Cave every year for an underground adventure.

Bureau of Indian Education

The GAOA LRF invests in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools for current and future generations. This project is demolishing more than 150,000 square feet of uninhabitable and unsafe buildings at eight school campuses on the Navajo Nation across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah: Many Farms Community School, Kin Dah Lichi'i Olta', Aneth Community School, Beclabito Day School, Cove Day School, Kaibeto Boarding School, Rocky Ridge Boarding School, and Tuba City Boarding School. Removing these abandoned buildings and resolving the associated health and safety hazards will improve the educational environment for students, teachers, and staff.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

GAOA LRF-funded Maintenance Action Teams (MATs) mobilize quickly to complete maintenance and repair work at small- and medium-sized national parks and wildlife refuges across the country. Located in Pennsylvania, Erie National Wildlife Refuge spans almost 9,000 acres and is the only refuge in the Unites States protecting endangered northern riffleshell and clubshell mussels. The roof of a staff quarters building at the refuge had aging components and required replacement. A MAT stripped off the roof’s old asphalt shingles and installed a new metal roof system. Throughout the project, team members had the opportunity to expand their skillsets, including the installation of two complex roof valleys—a technical element that added to the roof's durability. The MAT also upgraded the building’s lighting and installed a new screen door. These investments improve the functionality of the building so it can be more comfortable for staff and better support mission objectives.