Today, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam R. Telle announced a major initiative, “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork,” for the Army’s Civil Works program.
“Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” will provide greater focus on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) core Civil Works missions, while minimizing non-core programs, direct funding to priority water resources projects that will provide the greatest benefits to the nation, shorten permitting timelines, and reduce or eliminate extraneous regulations and paperwork that slow USACE’s delivery of Civil Works projects and programs.
“Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” will enable USACE district commanders around the nation to execute the Civil Works projects and programs that benefit the nation. USACE commanders will be empowered to take informed risks in advancing critical water resources projects and programs to completion faster and at less cost. The policy changes will also bring greater transparency and accountability for the program to the American public, project partners and sponsors, industry, and the elected leaders who make the annual funding decisions for the Civil Works program.
One of the plan’s initiatives calls for increased dredging capacity through maintenance dredging – a critical process that directly strengthens the Navigation mission in the Pacific by ensuring the safe passage of shipping, commercial, and military vessels across Hawaii and U.S. Pacific territories. The USACE Honolulu District oversees inspections and maintenance of 27 federal navigation harbors across a vast 15,000-square-mile region—including Hawaii and Pacific territories like American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
“Maintaining federal navigation channels and harbors is a core USACE mission – which we’re proud to support for the State of Hawaii, our nation, and our Pacific neighbors,” said Lt. Col. Adrian Biggerstaff, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District.
“Every day, billions of dollars in goods, as well as critical military logistics, flow through harbors across remote Pacific islands, where geographic isolation makes reliable navigation channels indispensable. These initiatives will improve how we deliver our critical projects and programs in the region and strengthen our commitment to building infrastructure and delivering engineering solutions across the Indo-Pacific.”
As part of this initiative, USACE has empowered districts to assess program delivery and processes, reduce bureaucratic barriers, to maximize the ability to deliver national infrastructure and taxpayer value. USACE will advance these efforts, with federal, state and local partners to remain a trusted national resource for critical infrastructure projects and the Navigation mission in the Pacific.
