MARQUETTE — The Hiawatha National Forest announces that as part of the Great American Outdoors Act six projects have been selected for fiscal year 2021.

The selected projects will be the first round of improvements to address deferred maintenance on the Forest while improving visitors’ experiences.

These projects are part of the $285 million investment made possible by the newly created National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, established in 2020 by the Great American Outdoors Act. These funds will allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to implement more than 500 infrastructure improvement projects essential to the continued use and enjoyment of national forests and grasslands.

These funds are critical in helping to reduce the Forest Service’s $5.9 billion deferred maintenance backlog and is an important step in restoring what our visitors love about national forests in the Eastern Region.

This year’s selected projects are:

— Hiawatha historic lighthouses: Together with partners including HistoriCorps, YouthWorks, and volunteers, a project to stabilize and rehabilitate the Point Iroquois Lighthouse historic site for continued enjoyment of the public will be launched.

— Carp River (FR 3458) and North Branch Stutts Creek (FR 2251-6.2) bridge replacements: This project will replace/repair two bridges that provide important access for both public recreation and vegetation management.

— Fishdam River bridge (FR 2222) replacement: Replacement of the Fishdam River bridge in Schoolcraft County will support continued access to recreation opportunities and vegetation management.

— Indian River bridge (FR 2258-1.8) replacement: Replacement of this bridge will support continued access to recreation activities and vegetation management.

— Dukes warehouse project: Decommissioning of this structure will reduce deferred maintenance and restore the site.

— Moran warehouse project: Decommissioning of this structure will reduce deferred maintenance and restore the site.

The Great American Outdoors Act authorizes funding under the Legacy Restoration Fund annually through fiscal year 2025.

Forest Service economists estimate that projects funded with these dollars will support roughly 4,400 jobs and contribute $420 million to the gross domestic product.

Forest Service infrastructure supports more than 300 million recreationists, first responders such as wildland firefighters, and other users of Forest Service roads.

Each year, visitors to the national forests contribute almost $11 billion to the U.S. economy, which sustains more than 148,000 jobs.

For more information on these projects, contact Paul Holeva, acting public services team leader, at 906-428-5889 or at paul.holeva@usda.gov.