USGS National Wildlife Health Center Modernization
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) has been developing a modernization plan to replace our current facilities that were originally constructed in the 1970s and 80s.
Public Involvement
USGS is seeking public comment on the proposed new facility. Learn more about public scoping meetings and how to leave a comment.
Environmental Impact Statement Process
The Environmental Impact Statement process was initiated in 2022 to assess the impact of a new NWHC facility.
Since 2008, NWHC has conducted multiple planning studies to identify and evaluate options for modernizing the facilities. The preferred option that emerged from this process is to build an entirely new facility on the grounds of the present NWHC in Madison, Wisconsin.
The current NWHC Milton Friend Building was originally built in 1969 as a private chemical research center and fire protection product manufacturing facility. The building and surrounding land was purchased by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the original governmental home of NWHC) in 1978, with renovations and additional construction completed in 1983. The NWHC Tight Isolation Building was completed in 1985 and houses biocontainment facilities required for live animal work.
Since the 1980s, the NWHC mission and capacity have expanded; age and space limitations of the present facilities pose a growing challenge to achieve our mission. Consequently, there is a need to design and construct a new facility to support our mission and cutting-edge science into the future.
In the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (PL 116-260), $55,500,000 was appropriated by Congress for the first phase of the renovation of the NWHC. This appropriation “supports the work of the National Wildlife Health Center and its important role in zoonotic research for detecting novel pathogens and emerging infectious diseases, developing rapid diagnostic tests, conducting disease surveillance, and designing vaccines used to control these diseases.”
In 2022 a contract was awarded to Flad Architects to design the new building. The full design process, which began in November 2022, is scheduled to take approximately two years to complete and will ultimately result in final construction plans. The new NWHC will be a single, integrated, multistory, state-of-the-art building that will include offices, laboratories (BSL-2 and BSL-3), and vivarium (ABSL-2, ABSL-3, and ABSL-3 Ag). The new building will be constructed on the NWHC’s current site in Madison, Wisconsin.
Concurrent with the design phase, USGS is assessing the environmental effects of the project as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been released and can be accessed on the EIS project website.
Timeline
- 2008 NWHC initiated design scoping and cost analysis studies.
- 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 appropriated $55,500,000 towards the first phase of renovation of the NWHC.
- 2022 Contract awarded to Flad Architects to design the new building.
- 2022 NEPA assessment of environmental effects initiated.
- Publication of the Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare a Draft EIS (DEIS) in the Federal Register on September 5, 2023.
- Public Scoping Meetings: September 21, 2023 (In-person) and September 28, 2023 (Virtual). More information on meeting times and location at https://www.nwhceis.com/public-involvement/
- 2024 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been released and can be accessed on the EIS project website.