GA Nat'l Parks to Get Stimulus $$

Federal stimulus dollars will soon be headed our way to upgrade the state's national park sites. But, of the $750 million allocated to improve the nation’s parks, just a small portion of that … $2.4 million … is headed to Georgia.

At Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, a new $700,000 solar panel system at the visitors center, is expected to meet all of the park's electrical power needs. Park superintendent Stan Bond says the site will answer President Obama's call for developing green training opportunities.

"Part of this project will be with local colleges and universities and possibly local high schools, to help train students in green collar industries so they may have an opportunity then to move into that green collar industry as new and innovative technologies come about."

And, $380,000 will go to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park to develop jobs for young people. Sam Whettle is the park's spokesman.

"They're going to work on trails and other projects that will improve the park's landscape. We're also going to do work on repainting historic plaques. These are the cast iron plaques that are located throughout the battlefield that show the strategic points of different units that were serving during that time. And, they'll also do work to restore trails and remove hazardous trees."

Additional stimulus dollars will go to the Cumberland Island National Seashore ($162,000 for solar powered lighting and to upgrade dormitories) and to the Chattahooche River National Recreation Area ($736,000 for five projects, including construction of a new comfort station).