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Ashland Visitors Center Recieves Federal Funding To Improve Energy Efficiency

U.S. Forest Service Provides $2M For Project

By
RoyalBroil (CC-BY-SA)

The U.S. Forest Service has awarded around $2 million for renewable energy and outreach at a northern Wisconsin visitor center.

The agency’s Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland is expected to reduce energy use by 50 percent. Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest spokeswoman Hilary Markin said they’re decreasing water use and installing photovoltaics.

“They’re thermal-hybrid solar collectors that convert the solar radiation into thermal and electric energy, and that (we) will be using to power the Great Lakes Visitor Center,” she said.

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Markin said the work is part of a nationwide effort to reduce the environmental footprint of federal agencies. She said they’re also planning to team with the National Park Service on displays that will educate the center’s roughly 125,000 annual visitors about energy efficiency.

The project is expected to begin this fall.