The Bureau of Land Management has broken ground for a new Fillmore field-office building, its first stimulus-funded project in Utah.

The new building will incorporate a number of energy-efficiency measures, making it the first building in Fillmore certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

A little more than $1.7 million in stimulus funding was awarded for the construction and design of the building, which is anticipated to be 70 percent more energy efficient than minimum codes require.

The building will incorporate the use of skylights to harvest daylight and automatic controls that turn off interior lighting when daylight levels are adequate.

Additional insulation is included in both the walls and ceiling. Other sustainable measures include low-flow toilet fixtures; low volatile-organic-compound paints, sealants and adhesives; recycled content; and no permanent irrigation systems.