"Not only is this an exciting and important conservation project, but it could also provide a tremendous tourist boost to the local economy in the Mourne area", explained Mr Straughan.
"Baroness Thatcher's statue would be a wonderful addition to our tourism project, " Bonnie Barsness, president of the Lake Havasu Tourist Board told the BBC last week.
Government officials, including Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, applauded the news, saying the project could breathe new life into a tired stretch of the tourist corridor where several projects stalled during the recession.