Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works announces ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ initiative for the Army’s Civil Works program

NORFOLK – 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.

“President Trump has empowered his administration to work with lightspeed efficiency to make our government deliver more for all Americans. The Army Civil Works’ ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ initiative will enable the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deliver critical projects and programs for the nation more efficiently, sooner, and at less cost than the current ways of doing business,” said Telle. “This will eliminate bureaucratic delays and provide fast, clear decisions needed to save lives and empower our economy.”

“Continuous Army transformation is about rapidly delivering war winning capabilities to the Army today, not years in the future. But that’s not all; we’re also transforming at home, too,” said Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll. “I’m incredibly proud of the ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ (BINP) transformation initiative the Army Civil Works and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams recently unveiled. BINP will build and strengthen American infrastructure across our nation, increasing resiliency and providing tangible, long-lasting value for the American people.”

“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.

The plan consists of 27 initiatives grouped under five categories:

• Maximizing the Ability to Deliver National Infrastructure 
• Cutting Red Tape 
• Focus on Efficiency 
• Transparency & Accountability 
• Prioritization  

The initiatives do not affect USACE execution of its emergency response support to natural and manmade disasters.

“The U.S. Army’s Civil Works program has been an invaluable cornerstone for more than 200 years. ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ will return USACE to a focus on its core missions and ensure the enterprise continues to be the most trusted national resource delivering water resources solutions,” added Telle. “This is only possible with President Trump’s leadership that has enabled our team to maximize our ability to deliver national infrastructure and cut red tape for the American people.” 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District

One of the plan’s initiatives includes increasing dredging capacity via maintenance dredging, which plays a key role in the transportation of goods/services via commercial waterways throughout the U.S. To do so, USACE will work with Endangered Species Act resource agencies to significantly expand the seasonal windows for dredging within ports. USACE will also be looking at innovative solutions to improve the science on environmental window mitigation measures, including additional funding for Research & Development. Executing the plan will result in better, more efficient use of the U.S. dredging fleet, expanding availability, reducing cost to the American taxpayer, and removing artificial constraints on the economy.

“The Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” initiative will enable the Norfolk District to find more efficient ways to deliver its critically important navigation mission and the many other flood and storm damage reduction and aquatic ecosystem restoration projects the district is responsible for in the region.

“We’re excited about these initiatives,” said Col. Sonny Avichal, Norfolk District commander. “Now more than ever, the nation needs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deliver – for resilient infrastructure, and for the economic vitality that depends on reliable navigation, flood risk management and efficient permitting.”

Within the Norfolk District’s project portfolio, the Norfolk Harbor and James River operations and maintenance dredging, Norfolk Harbor Deepening, and Anchorage F improvements are essential to the Port of Virginia, and key components of national security and the nation’s economy that will benefit from the “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” initiative.

The Port of Virginia is not only one of the East Coast’s largest and deepest ports – linking global trade to nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population within 24 hours – but it’s also home to the world’s largest naval base and the nation’s largest shipbuilding complex.

“Our focus is simple: build infrastructure, not paperwork. By maximizing efficiencies and accelerating delivery, we ensure Hampton Roads remains a national gateway for global trade and a cornerstone of national defense,” Avichal said. “We’ll work closely with our state and local partners to improve how we deliver these important projects.”

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