CASS LAKE –The Chippewa National Forest has announced that, as part of the Great American Outdoors Act, a local project has been selected for fiscal year 2021. It will be the first round of improvements to address deferred maintenance in the forest while improving visitor experience.
This year’s selected project for the Chippewa National Forest is the Stony Point Campground road pavement preservation.
Over 14,000 campers visit Stony Point Campground each year, making it one of the most heavily used developed recreation sites in the forest.
Yet throughout the entire length of the Stony Point Campground road, the need exists to preserve the pavement before further degradation occurs. The repairs and improvements to the campground roads, shoulders and dual access boat ramp will enhance safety and provide a more pleasant experience to visitors, a release said.
The project is part of a $285 million investment that was made possible by the newly created National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund. It was established in 2020 by the Great American Outdoors Act.
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These funds will allow the USDA Forest Service to implement more than 500 infrastructure improvement projects essential to the continued use and enjoyment of national forests and grasslands, the release said.
These funds are critical in helping to reduce the Forest Service’s $5.2 billion deferred maintenance backlog and are an important step in restoring what visitors love about national forests in the eastern region.
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.
“The Legacy Restoration Funds will allow us to address a backlog of road maintenance at Stony Point Campground, for which we have received numerous comments about its condition over time,” Michael Stansberry, forest supervisor, said in the release. “It is great to be moving forward with the much-needed improvements for our visitors at this very popular campground.”
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, contact civil engineer Craig Taylor at (218) 335-8682 or at craig.taylor@usda.gov .
