Is11.11

US Army Corpsof Engineers@

En gineer U No. 7 Juda teVol. 25 * No. 7 * July 2001

corps soldiers form up on the parade field at the U.5. Soldiers' and Airmen'sHome. Lt. Gen. Robert Flowers, Chief of Engineers, assembled all soldiersin the Corps (about 600) from around the world for the 226th Army Birthdayon June 14. (Photo by F.T. Eyre)

Maj. Robert Tuscano, a Corps Reservist, chats with a retiree at the U.S.Soldiers' and Airmen's Home. About 1,300 retirees live at the 320-acrecommunity in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Marti Hendrix)

Corps soldierscelebrate berets,Army birthday

Sgt. 1st Class Towanda Myers of Headquarters(left) helps another Corps soldier adjust his beretbefore the parade. By order of Gen. Eric Shinseki,Chief of Staff of the Army, the black beret becamestandard Army headgear on June 14. (Photo byMarti Hendrix)

Soldiers of the 249th Engineer Battalion (PrimePower) execute eyes-right as their commander,Lt. Col. Anthony Vesay, salutes the reviewingstand. (Photo by F.T. Eyre)

2 ENGINEER UPDATE July2001

Insights

Americans should count blessirBy Col. Lowell Moore

Chaplain, U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers

"God bless America, land that I love,"goes the song that you hear a lot this timeof year.

However, when I look around this greatcountry of ours, I think He already has.There are signs everywhere that this na-tion has been blessed.

During my lifetime, I've been fortunateto visit 32 different countries and all 50states. I love to visit other countries, ex-perience other cultures, talk with otherpeople, and learn about different ways oflife. My life has been greatly enriched bylearning about other people and placesaround planet Earth.

Other nations,other problems

But as enjoyable as my travels havebeen, I'm always glad to get back to thegood ol' United States ofAmerica. When-ever I return home, I always have a newappreciation for the country that I callhome.

Did you know that:* You can be fined for chewing gum or

spitting in Singapore?* A woman can't leave the house with-

out covering her face in Saudi Arabia andother Middle East countries?

* Only elementary school education isfree in Korea? High school costs, and col-lege costs a lot more.

eMany fathers inJapan usually see theirchildren only at breakfast due to longworking hours?

* Some women in Honduras have towash their clothes in local streams?

* Gasoline can cost up to $8 a gallon inthe United Kingdom?

*You have to register with the govern-ment before you move anywhere in Ger-many?

* There are no speed limits on theautobahns (freeways) in Germany, andthefastest car has the right of way?

* You can't drink the water in Hondu-ras and other CentralAmerican countries?

I'm not saying that all these differencesare bad. (Washing your clothes in astream is a lot less expensive than using awasher and dryer.) But when I comparethe benefits, the laws, the standard ofliv-ing, and the freedom of America to theother countries I've visited, I've come tobelieve we live in the greatest nation onEarth.

Perspective

I know I'm not alone with this belief.In fact, I've heard others say that everyAmerican should live outside the U.S. forat least one year. Then we would really

appreciate this great nation.Recently, I heard anew spin on that idea

of living away from home to appreciate itmore when you return. I visited SouthAtlantic Division in Atlanta, and I met alady who had justjoined the SAD team. Iwas quick to welcome her to the U. S.Army Corps of Engineers, as I always dowhen I can find someone with less time inthe Corps than me.

But she informed me that she had actu-ally been with the Corps for years. Shehad gotten married and left the Corps tofollow her husband. For five years, sheworked for another federal organizationbefore her husband moved again. Thistime she was able to get a position thatallowed her to work once again with theCorps of Engineers.

When I asked how the Corps comparedto the other federal organization she said,"The Corps is great! I think everyoneshould work outside the Corps for at leastone year, and then they would reallyap-preciate working for the Corps."

When I left Atlanta on that trip, I wentstraight to visit New Orleans District. Thefolks in district's Construction Divisionwere having their annual crawfish boilthat evening at Lake Pontchartrain, andthey invited me to join them.

Crawfish boil

Since we're talking about other placesand other customs, maybe I should ex-plain a "crawfish boil" for the benefit ofCorps folks in other parts of the nationand the world. A crawfish (crayfish) is akind offresh-water shrimp, and they areprepared much like shrimp. You seasonboiling water with a secret blend of spiceslike onions, salt, pepper, and red pepper,and cook pounds of crawfish in bigNo. 3-sized washtubs.

You serve heaping platefuls of crawfishwith sausage and corn-on-the-cob to a lotof friends and coworkers, and wash 'emdown with plenty ofice-cold beer (or Cokein my case). Put it all in a beautiful placelike Lake Pontchartrain, and you've gotthe recipe for good eatin' and a good party,Deep South style!

Of course I accepted their invitation,and I had a great time enjoyingtheir South-ern hospitality, plus a couple of plates full

of delicious crawfish.While sitting around a table with craw-

fish juice running down my elbows (thereis no dainty way to eat boiled crawfish!), Ishared the story about the lady in Atlantawho thought everyone ought to work out-side the Corps for one year to appreciate itmore.

And a lady who was enjoying crawfishat our table, and had also worked outsideof the Corps, jumped to her feet and ex-

agsclaimed "I agree! We don't know howgood we have it!"

Pray for blessings

Well, my personal experience does notqualify me to compare the Corps withother federal agencies or places to work.But judging from the comments I hearfrom the Corps employees I meet whilevisitingthe field, I've come to believe that,just as America is a blessed country and agreat place to live, the Corps is a blessedorganization and a great place to work.

This Fourth ofJuly, I encourage every-one, whatever your faith, to pray. Andwhen you do, ask for continued blessingson America, and on the U. S. Army Corpsof Engineers.

(The views expressed in this article arethose ofthe author and donotreflect theofficialpolicyorposition ofthe U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers, the Department ofDefense, or the US. Government.)

ENGINEER UPDATE is an unofficial publication under the provisions of AR 360-1. It is publishedmonthly by offset for the Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Editorial views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Corps of Engineers or the

Address mail to: EDITOR, ENGINEER UPDATE, CEPA-C, Washington, D.C. 20314-1000. Telephone(202) 761-1808. Photographs are U.S. Army photos unless otherwise credited. Available on theInternet at http://www.hq.usace.army.miltcepalpubslupdate.htm.

Department of the Army. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Commander, USACE................ ........... ................ Lt. Gen. Robert B. FlowersActing Chief, Public Affairs...................... ............. Lt. Col. Eugene Pawlik Jr.

Deadline for submitting articles is the 15th of the month preceding publication. Subscriptions are Chief, Command Information................................. ..George E. Halfordavailable free of charge but must be requested in writing. Circulation: 35,000. Editor ................................................ .......................... ......... .. Bernard W. Tate

JOSEPH W. WESTPHAL13131 NEW PARKLAND DRIVE, HERNDON, VIRGINIA 20171

June 1, 2001

Lieutenant General Robert B. FlowersCommanding GeneralU.S. Army Corps of Engineers441 G Street, NWWashin n, . 20314-1000

Dear G al Flowers:

As I end my tenure as both Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Worksand Acting Secretary of the Army, I wanted to express to the Engineers, throughyou, how proud I have been to have had this association with such outstandingand patriotic men and women. The work of the Engineers, both in combat and inserving our Nation's domestic needs, have been unparalleled in this world.

I want to especially thank the men and women of the Corps of Engineerswho have such a great commitment and dedication to this Nation's progress andwell-being. As I traveled to nearly every District and Division, I was alwaysimpressed with the innovation and creativity of the Corps great civilian workforce.I am grateful to those at Headquarters who helped me develop budgets andsustain our program through difficult times and the ever present competitivenature of Washington's decision-making process. There is so much talent in thisgreat organization that all of us, retired and active, should ensure that our leadersunderstand what a great asset the Corps is to our Nation. You can be assuredthat I will do my part in the future.

Bob, I was surprised, honored and humbled by the award of the SilverOrder of the de Fleury Medal and your kind and warm remarks at the EngineerDinner. I want to thank you and commend you on your outstanding leadershipand the great values you exemplify for the Corps. I leave with a sense of comfortin knowing that the organization is well managed by strong leadership at alllevels. Thank you for your support and good work and know that should theEngineers ever need my assistance, you have but to call on me.

Essayo s

seph W. Wes at

July2001 ENGINEER UPDATE 3Commentary

Army has good values

Falls costbig bucks

By Bernard TateHeadquarters

A group of us were walking down the hall theother day when one of my coworkers suddenly wentdown like he had been hit by atruck, right in front ofthe command suite at Corps Headquarters.

"What happened?" we exclaimed as we rushed tohis aid.

"I slipped on something," he answered throughgritted teeth while lyingthere clutching his knee.

Sure enough, there was a small spill right underhis shoe, almost invisible against the dark tile floor.But that wasn't all. There was a trail of little dripsand spills from where he fell all the way to the eleva-tors.

Some of us helped him up while others whippedout handkerchiefs and facial tissues and wiped up allthe spills we could find.

He walked away from the accident basically un-hurt, but alot of people aren't so lucky. A friend ofmine at Oakland Army Base, Calif., broke her wristfalling on a spill.

According to statistics published in the March 26issue of US. News & World Report, about $38.7billion is spent each year on medical expenses andlost wages for employees harmed on the job, andfalls are the second-largest category.

Estimated workers' compensation costs for work-place accidents in 1998 were:

Lifting, pushing, pulling - $9.8 billion.Falls - $8.0 billion.Bending, climbing, slipping without fall-

ing- $3.6 billion.Struck by object - $3.4 billion.Repetitive motion - $2.3 billion.Highway accidents - $2.1 billion.Bumping into object - $1.9 billion.Caught in equipment - $1.6 billion.Heat exhaustion, burns, frostbite - $300

million.Many workplace injuries are preventable. At least,

our buddy's fall was. It didn't take but afew secondsto wipe up those spills.

So if you spill it, wipe it up. A spill is as unobtru-sive as a land mine, and every bit as effective in put-ting someone out of action.

By Jim PeakSt. Paul District

While attending the Sustaining Base Leadership Man-agement course at the Army Management Staff Collegeat Fort Belvoir, Va., our class focused on the Army Val-ues. Our instructors asked each student to briefly write"What the Army Values mean to me."

At first, I thought this would be just another rote as-signment. But as I began to think, personalize, and writeabout the Army Values, I realized that these seven orga-nizational values closely align with my personal valuesand deeply-held beliefs.

I've been blessed to work with countless peers, sub-ordinates, and supervisors in many parts of the worldwho also exemplified these simple but profound values.That's one reason I enjoy working for the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers.

I still reflect on that assignment from time to time,and often share it with new employees. I'd like to shareit with the rest of the Corps' employees, and I encour-age each person to personalize the Army Values for him-or herself.

In my mind, I arranged the values in a pyramid withduty, integrity, and loyalty as the base, and honor atthe pinnacle. A

Duty

I freely chose and accepted the position Ioccupy. My acceptance implies that I haveagreed to accept full responsibility formy actions in my position. It is myduty and obligation to carry outthose responsibilities to the bestof my abilities. In doing so, Idemonstrate my resolve tofulfill the pledge I made tomyself and to the Army.

Application -Accept my next as- COUsignment willingly,meet it with apositive atti-tude, and beeager to DUIfollowthroughwith theresponsibilities of my position.

rity) form a firm foundation for the values that follow.

Courage

How can I hold fast to my resolve when I'm temptedto break my seal of integrity? With personal courage, Ican find the moral bravery to stand against fear, uncer-tainty, and adversity. I believe that moral courage is avirtue to be pursued and prized. Wherever moral cour-age exists, physical courage follows close behind. Fromcourage comes the will to fight and succeed.

Application - I've just discovered a major designmistake two days before bid opening. Moral couragewill enable me to surface the problem and take correc-tive action.

Selfless service

As courage provides the strength to overcome adver-sity, selfless service calls me to remember that we areall servants of humankind. I bear a moral obligation totreat others as I would like to be treated. This valueenables me to rejoice in the victories of others withoutfeeling threatened. I must sometimes put aside my per-sonal desires and sacrifice myself toward those things

that will most benefit the team.Application - Selfless service will drive meto work above the normal expected hours to cor-

rect a problem, even if it means changing mypersonal plans.

RespectHONOR

RESPECT

RAGE SERVICE

INTEGRITY

Loyalty

I believe that loyalty builds upon duty. Loyalty takesthe commitment required under duty and adds alle-giance - allegiance to the Constitution, to the Army,and to my fellow team members. If duty is my "con-tract," then loyalty is the "ink" with which I sign theagreement. Loyalty is the visible proof of my commit-ment to duty.

Application - Remain focused and committed tothe task at hand until completion. Give confident sup-port to my leadership and my team members for thelong haul.

Integrity

Integrity is the seal I stamp on my agreement for all tosee. By this value, all can know that my word is goodand will not be broken. Integrity is not swayed by thepassing of time and cannot be counterfeited. It is thevalue that calls me to honesty and enables me to do theright thing when others do not.

Application - Be honest with customers in report-ing the progress of projects. My word should be mybond.

I believe these three values (duty, loyalty, and integ-

LO

I believe that respect comes natu-rally to an individual who exhib-

its the previous values of duty,loyalty, integrity, courage,

and selfless service. Notonly will he or she win

the respect of theteam, but also will

come to appreci-ate the innate

goodness anddignity of

YALTY fellowteammem-bers.

From respect comes fairness, consideration of others,and compassion.

Application - I will listen attentively to those withviews different from my own. I will try to look at theissue from their perspective, and challenge my own as-sumptions.

Honor

If all the other values were building blocks of a pyra-mid, then honor would surely be the pinnacle. It is thecrown jewel of the other combined values. Honor is thedesired state that publicly signals my commitment to astrong moral code.

Application - Next time I am faced with an ethicaldecision, I will ask myself - Will my decision poten-tially bring either honor or disgrace to myself, my orga-nization, the Army, or America? Then I will strive todo the honorable thing!

(Jim Peak is the Assistant ChiefofEngineeringDivi-sion, and the Chiefof Technical Services Branch in St.Paul District. He has also worked in SaudiArabia, Ja-pan District, and the Huntsville Center.)

(The views expressed in this article are those of theauthor and do not reflect the official policy or positionof the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers, the Departmentof the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S.Government.)

*

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T'I

4 ENGINEER UPDATE July2001

Everglades restoration just beginning"Our challenge is

to restore thisnational treasure

for futuregenerations. "

By Homer PerkinsHeadquarters

(Editor's note: An update on the progress in theEverglades restoration will appear each quarter in the"Engineer Update. ")

It was once a "River of Grass," both majestic andsubtle. The Everglades' waters once spread in a shallow,slow-flowing "river" that covered much of the SouthFlorida peninsula and was home to alligators, snakes,panthers, and a multitude of other animals and plants.An ecosystem like the Everglades existed nowhere elsein the world.

But the Everglades are dying. During the past half-century, the health and size of the Everglades have steadilydeclined. Half of the Everglades have been lost to agri-culture and development. Sixty-eight of the Everglades'plant and animal species are threatened or endangered.The wading bird population is down 90 percent. Morethan one million acres of the ecosystem are under healthadvisories for mercury contamination. More than 1.5million acres are infested with invasive, exotic plants.And an average of 1.7 billion gallons of water per day arelost through discharge to the ocean or Gulf of Mexico.

It will be impossible to recreate the Everglades of acentury ago. "Our challenge is to restore and preservethis important national treasure for future generations,"said Lt. Gen. Robert B. Flowers, Chief of Engineers.

How did it happen?

During the past 100 years, excessive drainage of wet-lands and natural changes in water flows have altered theEverglades wetland ecosystem on a regional scale. Mostnegative changes in the ecosystem are a direct result ofwater management to control floods and provide watersupply. Historically, most rainwater soaked into theground in the region's vast wetlands. As South Floridadeveloped, the canal system built during the past 100years (much of it by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)worked very effectively and drained water off the landtoo quickly.

"The Corps of Engineers did what the nation asked itto do at that time," said Flowers. "Now we must join ourpartners and do what we must to protect this unique na-tional ecosystem."

How do we cure the problems?

There is no quick fix. It took 100 years to create theproblem, and it will probably take at least one-third thatlong to solve it. Congress authorized the Corps to com-plete a comprehensive study of the Central and SouthernFlorida (C&SF) Project and the Everglades in the WaterResources Development Act (WRDA) of 1992.

More direction was provided in WRDA 1996. Floridaand the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works)sent the C&SF Project Comprehensive Review Study tothe Congress on July 1, 1999.

Finally WRDA 2000 authorized the ComprehensiveEverglades Restoration Plan (CERP) as a comprehensiveframework for modifications and operational changes tothe C&SF to restore, preserve, and protect the South

Much of the Everglades lives up to its nickname, "The River of Grass." (Photo courtesy of the SouthFlorida Water Management District)

Florida ecosystem. CERP authorized about $1.4 billionas the first step in restoring the Everglades.

The estimated total cost of the comprehensive plan is$7.8 billion spread out over more than 35 years. It willcost about $182 million each year to operate, maintain,and monitor the complete project. The cost is split 50/50 between the federal government and the non-federalsponsors. The South Florida Water Management Dis-trict (SFWMD) is the primary non-federal sponsor.

WRDA 2000 authorizes four pilot projects totaling $69million, and 11 initial projects totaling $1.1 billion.WRDA 99 authorized two additional pilot projects at acost of $27 million. Also included in the 2000 authoriza-tion are programmatic authority, assessment and moni-toring funds, assurance language, programmatic regula-tions, and reporting requirements. CERP projects notauthorized in WRDA 2000 will require specific Con-gressional authorization in future WRDAs.

Where are we now?

A $712 million design agreement with the SFWMDwas signed on May 12, 2000. The design agreement cov-ers all aspects of design, including construction plans andspecifications. It covers 56 components, pilot projects,and program level activities. Negotiations are under waywith other sponsors for design agreements on the remain-ing components. In addition, a Master Program Man-agement Plan (PMP) approved last year will serve as aguide to the Corps and SFWMD for managing, schedul-ing, and monitoring progress on 45 projects they willimplement together, as full partners, in this massive res-toration effort.

"The CERP is not business-as-usual for the Corps,"Flowers said. "It must be managed outside the normalstovepipe way of doing business to ensure continuity be-tween projects, and must make effective use of the ProjectManagement Business Process (PMBP) to integrate ef-forts across functional areas. The process requires a ver-tical matrix team concept that involves people from alllevels, from the district to the Assistant Secretary of theArmy for Civil Works."

Matrix teams with mutually determined policy andprocedures have been developed at Jacksonville District,South Atlantic Division, and Headquarters. These ma-trix teams and the Corps' partners will streamline themanagement process and provide real-time policy anddecision-making capabilities. A future Engineer Update

article will focus on "Team Everglades" and the func-tions, personnel, and responsibilities of the team.

A public Web site explaining the restoration plan isavailable now at http://www.evergladesplan.org.

Why can't the restoration go faster?

Perhaps first and foremost, ecosystems do not respondimmediately to specific hydrologic changes. Just as ittook the ecosystem manyyears to respond to the negativechanges made during the past century, ecological re-sponses to the improvements also will take time. Sec-ond, time is needed to plan and design specific features.The pilot projects must be implemented to reduce uncer-tainty. Finally, an incremental approach to implementa-tion allows the Corps and the non-federal sponsors timeto assess performance and refine the plans to effectivelymeet restoration objectives.

Actually, the CERP covers a relatively short period.Environmental improvements will follow hydrologicchanges. Some improvements will be visible during thefirst 10 years of CERP's implementation. We should seegradual, but important, improvements during this time,but it will take several more years to obtain all the ben-efits that CERP will provide.

Where do we go from here?

Individual project management plans are beingpreparedfor each of the 15 projects this year. A new reporting docu-ment called a Project Implementation Report (PIR) willthen be prepared for each project to bridge the gap betweenthe comprehensive plan and detailed project design.

The 10 projects specifically authorized in WRDA 2000were each conditionally authorized, subject to approvalof a PIR by the Secretary of the Army and passage ofresolutions by the House Transportation and Infrastruc-ture Committee and the Senate Environment and PublicWorks Committee.

Other PIRs will be forwarded to Congress for specificauthorization in a future WRDA.

"The CERP offers the Corps an opportunity to show-case its capabilities," Flowers said. "The entire Corps ofEngineers needs to know what's going on with this project.Everyone needs to be excited about it. This has to be anabsolute team effort. Our challenge at Headquarters is tosupport the field and make sure the Corps at all levels isset up for success."

July2001 ENGINEER UPDATE 5

Regulatory ProgramProtecting the Nation's Water Resources

Regulators have big, tough missionBy Kathy Rea

Huntington District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has regulated ac-tivities in the nation's waters for more than 100 years,protecting and maintainingthe navigation capacity of ourchannels. The Corps has one of the oldest Regulatoryprograms in the federal government and, in recent years,the program has expanded to include protecting all sur-face water resources.

Regulatory is a big, complicated program, but it can bedefined in a few words - if anyone wants to move dirtinto a wetland or body of water anywhere in the U.S.,they must have a permit from the Corps.

The law

The program operates primarily under Section 10 ofthe Rivers & Harbors Act of 1899, and Section 404 of theClean Water Act of 1972.

Section 10 prohibits obstruction or alteration of navi-gable waters of the U.S. without a permit. A permit isneeded for any work performed in, on, over, or undernavigable waters of the U.S. (not including buildingbridges or causeways, which are handled by the U.S. CoastGuard).

In the mid-1970s, the Corps received responsibility toregulate fill in wetlands under Section 404. Section 404prohibits discharge of dredged or fill material into watersof the U.S. (including wetlands) without a permit.

There is a third authority that the Corps RegulatoryProgram operates under - the Marine Protection, Re-search, and Sanctuaries Act, also called the Ocean Dump-ing Act. The Corps issues 100 permits or less per yearunder this authority.

Big program

According to John Studt, Chief of the Regulatory Pro-gram in Corps Headquarters, the Corps issues about 90,000permits annually, authorizingthe fill of about 30,000 acres

of wetlands, and requiring creation or repair of about45,000 acres of wetlands.

About 1,100 Corps people work nationwide in theRegulatory program, with the largest group (about 80people) in Florida. About 70 percent of the Regulatoryemployees have natural science degrees, the largest groupof natural science people outside of the park rangers.

Typical district

Huntington District has a typical Regulatory permitsoperation. From mountaintop removal to wetland fills,the district's Regulatory Branch is intimately involvedwith highly visible and often controversial permit appli-cations. The Regulatory staff reviewed more than 1,000permits in fiscal year 2000.

They work with applicants, environmental agencies,and the public to make timely and legally defensible per-mit decisions. This may mean, at times, changing origi-nal designs so they conform to the rules and guidelines.

Huntington District maintains a list of 19 navigablestream sections. Regulated work includes dredging, build-ing mooring cells, pile clusters, commercial docks, util-ity lines, recreational boat docks, submarine utility linecrossings, intakes, and outfalls.

Wetlands

Wetlands are very much in the forefront. Wetlands areany area inundated or saturatedby surface or ground waterlong enough and often enough to support vegetationadapted for saturated soil.

Wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similarareas, andtheyhave definite value in the ecosystem. Theyprovide ground water recharge, flood control, sedimentremoval, toxicant retention, nutrient removal, wildlifediversity and abundance, aquatic diversity, uniqueness,heritage, and recreation.

When talking to school children, Rebecca Rutherfordof Huntington District's Regulatory Branch, puts it inmore simple terms - "Wetlands act like a sponge soak-

ingup the water." They soak up rainwater and release itgradually. She further explains that wetlands also likekidneys - they act as filters to clean up water.

Three types

The Corps operates under three different types of per-mits - General permits (including Regional and Nation-wide), Letters of Permission, and Individual permits.

General Regional permits are developed by the dis-trict based on regional needs, like recreational boat docks.This type of permit is for individual owners only and cancover up to 50 linear feet. Despite their small size, evenGeneral permit verifications now take a substantialamount of time to review and establish proper mitiga-tion.

Final revisions to Nationwide permits became effec-tive in June 2000. At that time, six of the 40 Nationwidepermits were modified and five new Nationwide permitsissued. This type of permit is designed for minor workand has little effect on the environment.

Because the framework for this type of permit was for-mulated at Corps Headquarters, it is uniform Corps wide.But districts and states have authorization to make re-strictions. These permits include minor road crossingfills, submarine utility line crossings, minor wetland fills,small floating recreational docks, and minor bank pro-tection projects. The basic limits of the new and modi-fied Nationwide permit are half an acre of water of theU.S., including wetlands.

Letters ofPermission. Letters of permission areused in Huntington District for Section 10 activities only.An example would be a 100-foot recreational floatingdock. To approve this type of permit, the Corps coordi-nates with the state and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Individual. Individual permits are used when anactivity doesn't meet the criteria of either the Regional orNationwide permit, or Letter of Permission.

For example, when the city of Huntington applied for a

Continued on page six

The challenge facing the Corps' Regulatory Program is balancing the needs of development with the need to preserve the nation's wetlands and other waterresources. (Photos courtesy of Huntington District)

6 ENGINEER UPDATE July 2001

Flat, wet FloridaLargest Regulatory staff works in state that's 25 percent wetlands

By Patricia Davis-WilliamsJacksonville District

Manatees are lumbering, lovable crea-tures that live in Florida's warm waterways.They spend their days leisurely navigatingtheir natural habitat, oblivious that theyhave an impact on the humans who alsoenjoy Florida's tropical environment.

Manatees are only one of Florida's 100or so endangered species that contribute tothe challenges that Jacksonville District'sRegulatory staff tackles every day. Floridais also the seventh fastest-growing state.Wetlands cover up to 25 percent ofthe state.Lawsuits are filed almost monthly aboutprotection of the environment.

Lawsuits

Endangered and threatened species con-cerns are not unique to Jacksonville Dis-trict, but these issues present recurringchal-lenges to the staff. In 2000, an environ-mental group sued the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers and other government agenciesover protecting the manatee.

This litigation lasted for more than ayear.

John Hall, Regulatory Di-vision chief said, "We pro-cessed all permit applicationsas far as we could. Because ofthe litigation we couldn'tcomplete action on about 650applications.

"Once a settlement wasreached in early 2001, wequickly completed more thanhalf of the pending permitapplications," Hall added. "The rest areawaiting formal consultation from anotherfederal agency."

The backlog posed a huge temporarychallenge to the staff.

"Our workload keeps growing, but ourstaff does not," said Hall. "Our challengeis to find ways to do a good job and keep upwith the growth with the staffwe have."

Biggest Regulatory staff

It's a bigjob. Jacksonville District's 86-member Regulatory staff is spread out in

Big missionContinued from page fivepermit to develop a technical park alongFourpole Creek, it applied for an Indi-vidual permit. Under the Individual per-mit process, a public notice is issued, giv-ing individuals, agencies, or groups 30days to respond. A public hearing is some-times requested. All comments are re-viewed and considered before the Corpsmakes a decision.

Other examples of Individual permitsinclude the sand and gravel dock near theBuffington Island battlefield site, and thecoal docks along the West Virginia andOhio shorelines. Because these permitscan be more involved, processing timecan take 150 days or more. If an Indi-

The manatee is just one of Florida's more than 100 endangered or threatenedspecies. Protecting the species' habitat challenges Jacksonville District'sRegulatory staff. (Photo by Capt. Larry Campbell, Aquamarine Images)

Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. VirginIslands. They complete nearly 13,000 per-mit-related actions each year, operate apro-gram in a state where the population in-creases by about 850 people every day, andwhere more than 100 endangered or threat-ened species live.

With hundreds of people moving toFlorida daily, the need for housing,shopping, and jobs is increasing aswell This results in about400 acresof land development every day.

EIS

In Southwest Florida, the state'sfastest growingarea, the cumulative

My impact of permitting is a constantconcern. Therefore, the Southwest

Florida Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) was initiated to improve the Regula-tory process in the area The EIS describesissues defined by a citizen/agency group,compares effects on issues of five futurelandscapes resultingfrom potential permitsand other decisions, and contains a pro-posed set of maps where wetlands fill hashigh potential to affect certain natural re-sources.

"We were concerned about the magni-tude of growth in Southwest Florida," Hallsaid. "We wanted to compile existing in-formation and have it in one place so we

could make better decisions. We also wantto share this information with local plan-ning officials so they can use the informa-tion when updating their plans."

Dialogue

The state requires all Florida countiesto have comprehensive plans, which areused to forecast infrastructure needs andzoning requirements associated with pre-dicted future growth. Therefore, when thestate wanted to build auniversity in South-west Florida, the site-selection process wasregularly reported in the local news me-dia. The publicity highlighted the poten-tial adverse effects to wetlands that futuredevelopment surroundingthe new univer-sitywould have. Public dialogue grew fromthe high-profile stories. The issue requiredthe direct involvement of the district lead-ership, and more than 25 meetings withcounty commissioners, builders, and in-terested civic groups.

"We were already seeing recurring is-sues with cumulative impacts of permitapplications before the university permit,"said Bob Barron, Southwest Florida EISproject manager. "The public awarenessbrought by the university permit was just astepping-stone to the EIS process."

To identify possible cumulative impactsthroughout the region, the district facili-

tated 12 meetings of an Alternative Devel-opment Group (ADG) of citizens, land-owners, non-government organizations,developers, agencies, and other stakehold-ers who were asked to identify issues im-portant to the community.

Barron said the concept of gathering con-cerned citizens to discuss a community-wide concern is not new. "What's uniqueto our effort is that Regulatory pulled thisgroup together to discuss how their com-munity issues and visions could be affectedby futurepermitting. We essentially lookedto this group to tell us what the issues are,how to measure them, and to identifywhere permitting could support their vi-sion of the community."

The ADG identified 16 areas of con-cern. Corresponding overlay maps werecreatedtoidentify potential land uses. Themaps will help the Corps determine cumu-lative impacts when issuing specific indi-vidual permits.

One unplanned benefit of the EIS pro-cess was heightened public awareness."This processed energized the commu-nity," Hall said.

Barron noted, "We provided a forum fora dialogue, feedback, and clarification be-tween people who build houses, peoplewho raise cattle, people who enjoy hiking,and those who issue permits. I recall oneearly ADG meeting when, at the comple-tion of a group exercise, we discovered wehad an immense amount in common. Wewere not only able to prepare a more com-prehensive document, but this process im-proved the communication in subsequentpermit reviews and in other forums."

'Bully for you!'

One Florida citizen who followed theEIS process sent anote to Hall saying thatsince the start of the complex EIS processmore interest and effort had been put inplace locally to determine future issues.

"It is not about the product, it is aboutthe process and the people pondering theissues. Bully for you!"

The next step in the process is to estab-lish a Record of Decision which will givethe district and state and local agencies atool for comprehensive planning. In thedistrict, it will be used to make informeddecisions during the permitting process.

Everglades

vidual 404 permit is required, the permitcannot be issued until the appropriatestate approves water quality certificationunder Section 401 of the Clean WaterAct.

Process

What happens when a permit applica-tion is received? The first thing is to de-termine whether the Corps has jurisdic-tion. If so, a determination is madewhether it falls under Section 10, Section404, or both. The application is then re-viewed to see if it falls under the guide-lines for a General permit (Nationwide orRegional).

When a completed application is re-ceived, it is assigned a number. The ap-plication is reviewed, balancing the needand expected benefits against the probableimpact of the work, taking into consider-ation all comments received, as well asother relevant factors.

Always changing

Rutherford said that the permits pro-gram is always changing as a result of liti-gation, such as the Supreme Court rulingagainst the Corps last October in the SolidWaste Agency of Northern Cook Countyvs. the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (seearticle on page seven).

Hall also talked about the Comprehen-sive Everglades Restoration Program(CERP). "Our staffis working closely withthe CERP team to integrate regulatory is-sues and concerns into the CERP process.We need to look ahead to ensure that wedon't lose sight of what CERP is about."

Hall said all these challenges have forcedthe district's Regulatory staff to improvethe permittingprocess while balancingtheneeds of development and wildlife.

"We're trying to be more proactive byworking with state agencies and countiesto identify sensitive areas," Hall said. "Ifwe can accomplish large-scale outlooks,we'll make better decisions and streamlineour processes."

July2001 ENGINEER UPDATE 7

High court decision just the beginningBy Homer Perkins

Headquarters

"Take it to the U.S. Supreme Court. That'll settle theissue once and for all."

That's what most of us think when an issue makes itsway from a local case through the legal system and finallyreach the U.S. Supreme Court. But as the recent rulingina Chicago area landfill case dramatically shows, a Su-preme Court ruling may be only the beginning.

The Supreme Court case in Solid Waste Agency ofNorthern Cook County (SWANCC) vs. U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers was decided last October. But the falloutcontinues for regulators, conservationists, and develop-ers as they analyze how the decision will affect wetlands.

The lawsuit was filed after the Corps denied a permit toSWANCC (a consortium of suburban Chicago munici-palities) that wanted to develop a solid waste disposal sitein an abandoned sand and gravel quarry. SWANCC pro-posed to build a "balefill" where solid waste would becompacted and bound into even rectangular bales.

The abandoned quarry had reverted to a forested areawith permanent and seasonal ponds. The permit wasdenied because the project would destroy 31 acres ofponds that provide habitat to migratory birds. The Corpsasserted jurisdiction over these ponds under the CleanWater Act.

However, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court heldthat the Corps could not use its "Migratory Bird Rule" asthe basis for regulating these ponds.

Some experts interpret the decision narrowly, main-taining that it only applies to "non-navigable, isolated,intrastate waters" where the only interstate commerceconnection is use or potential use by migratory birds.

Other experts take a more expansive view, saying thedecision applies to all traditionally non-navigable waters,and waters not physically connected to navigable waters.

It's up to the Corps and the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) to interpret the Supreme Court's rulingand issue new regulations and guidelines.

Although the court held that the Corps' application ofthe "Migratory Bird Rule" in SWANCC exceeds the au-thority granted under Section 404(a) of the Clean WaterAct (CWA), it did not strike down any other componentof the regulations defining "waters of the United States."

While the Supreme Court's actual holding was nar-rowly limited to CWA regulation of "nonnavigable, iso-lated, intrastate" waters based solely on the use of suchwaters by migratory birds, the court's discussion rangedwidely. For example, the court recognized the CWA'sassertion ofjurisdiction over traditional navigable wa-ters, their tributaries, and wetlandsadjacentto them. Thecourt also declined to address certain other aspects of thescope of CWAjurisdiction. As a result, the court's opin-ion has led to questions concerning the effect of the deci-sion on other waters within the definition of"waters ofthe United States" in agency regulations.

In a memo to the Corps field offices, Corps' ChiefCoun-sel Robert Anderson, and EPA Chief Counsel Gary Guzy

said, "In light of the Court's conclusion that the 'Migra-tory Bird Rule' is not fairly supported by the CWA," fieldstaff should no longer rely on the use of waters or wet-lands as habitat by migratory birds as the sole basis forthe assertion of regulatory jurisdiction under the CWA.

"The Court's holding was strictly limited to waters thatare "nonnavigable, isolated, [and] intrastate," the memocontinued. "With respect to any waters that fall outsideof that category, field staff should continue to exerciseCWAjurisdiction to the full extent of their authority un-der the statute and regulations, and consistent with courtopinions."

Because ofthe Supreme Court ruling's limitations, mostof the regulatory definition of "waters of the UnitedStates" are unaffected by SWANCC. Sections of the CWAthat areaffected include the definition ofwaters that couldaffect interstate commercesolely by virtue of their use ashabitat by migratory birds.These waters may no longerbe considered "waters of theUnited States." The court'sopinion did not specificallyaddress what other connec-tions with interstate commercemight support the assertion ofCWAjurisdiction.

Andersen and Guzy said, "The Supreme Court's de-cision in SWANCC provides an important new limita-tion on how and in what circumstances the EPA and theCorps can assert regulatory authority under the CWA.However, this decision's limited holding must be inter-preted in light of other Supreme Court and lower courtprecedents, unaffected by the SWANCC decision, whichprecedents broadly uphold Clean Water Act jurisdic-tional authority."

The discussions continue between the Corps and EPA.Additional guidance is being developed for use by thefield offices. In the meantime, Corps regulators con-tinue to do their job regulating the waters of the U.S.

Legal process 'appealing' to publicBy Martha Chieply

Mississippi Valley Division

The Regulatory Program of the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers has the dual responsibilities of protecting thenation's waters, and facilitating the legitimate use of pri-vate property. The Administrative Appeals Process al-lows applicants and landowners to appeal denied per-mits, permits containing requirements unacceptable tothe applicant, and/or jurisdictional determinations.

The "appealing" part of the Administrative AppealsProcess is the Corps' policy to promote and maintain aprocess that is independent, objective, fair, prompt, andefficient.

The Corps' mission to protect navigable waters beganwith the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, Section 10.Landmark court cases and legislation, notably the 1977Clean Water Act, broadened the Corps' scope to regu-late wetlands and other waters of the U.S. The dualfocus of the 1990s was enhancing environmental pro-tection, and managing the Regulatory program.

The goals of the Regulatory program are:* Protect the nation's aquatic environment, including

wetlands.* Enhance the efficiency of the administration of the

Corps' Regulatory program.*Ensure the Corps provides the regulated public with

fair and reasonable decisions.One approach for such streamlining was the Corps'

Administrative Appeal Process. The Corps publishedthe final rule establishing an administrative appeal pro-cess for permit denials and declined permits. That rulebecame effective Aug. 6, 1999. On March 28, 2000,

the Corps established an administrative appeal processfor jurisdiction determinations.

Generally, the Corps' district offices make permit andjurisdictional determinations. The request for an ap-peal of such decisions is made to the Corps' divisionoffices. Each division office has an AdministrativeAppeals Review Officer who assists the division engi-neer in reaching and documenting his decision on themerits of an appeal.

Requests for appeal must be furnished to the divisionoffice within 60 days of the decision. A site visit and anappeal conference may be conducted during the appealprocess. A decision on the merits of the appeal is nor-mally made in 90 days. The division will either upholdthe district decision or send the case back to the districtwith direction to make a new decision.

To take one division as an example, since inceptionof the program there have been 12 administrative ap-peals in Mississippi Valley Division from St. Paul Dis-trict to New Orleans District. There have been 45 ad-ministrative appeals nationwide. One-third of the com-pleted appeals had merit, one-third did not. The re-maining cases are pending, have been withdrawn, or werenot accepted.

If an appeal is found to have no merit, the final Corpsdecision is the district engineer's letter advising the ap-plicant that the appeal had no merit.

But if an appeal does have merit, the final Corps deci-sion is the district engineer's decision, pursuant to theremand of the appealed action. No affected party mayfile a legal action in federal court based on a permitdenial or a proffered permit until a final Corps decision(after the appeal) has been made.

Site visits are an important part of the appealsprocess. (Photo courtesy of Mississippi ValleyDivision)

ENGINEER UPDATE July 2001

The bald eagle is recovering from endangeredstatus, and may soon be removed from the list.

American alligators were listed as endangeredspecies in 1967, and de-listed in 1987.

Reg program also protectsendangered species

Article and PhotosBy Wade Eakie

South Pacific Division

In the past decade, the most significant factors influenc-ing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Regulatory pro-gram in the western U.S. has been threatened and endan-gered (T&E) plants and wildlife, and increasingly com-plex compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

In 1980, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USF&WS)and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) had only281 plants and animals on their list of T&E species. By1990, that number had grown to 596, and by 2000 to 1,244.In 1994 126 species were added. A total of 1,297 specieshave been listed since 1967, with only 28 species removedfrom the list due to recovery, extinction, or other factors.

Complying with ESA provisions is a critical compo-nent of the Corps' Regulatory program. When Congresspassed the ESA in 1973, it charged all federal agencieswith conserving T&E species and their ecosystems. Con-gress directed each federal agency to cooperate and consultwith the USF&WS and NMFS to ensure that any action bythe agency not jeopardize T&E species, or destroy or ad-versely modify habitat criticalfor the species survival.

In 1986, the USF&WS andNMFS published proceduralregulations governing inter- !agency cooperation under Sec-tion 7 ofthe ESA, the sameyearthe Corps published final regu-lations for its Regulatory pro-gram. Federal agencies usethese regulations for their inter-actions with the USF&WS and NMFS.

As we enter the 21" century, conservation has becomean important objective for many organizations. Now, af-ter more than 25 years of implementing the ESA, manyrecognize this landmark legislation as one of the best toolsfor conserving plants and wildlife.

So, what does this all mean for the Corps' Regulatoryprogram in the western U.S., especially portions coveredby South Pacific Division (SPD) and its districts?

At last count in June, California has 289 T&E species(110 animals, 179 plants), more than any other state in thelower 48. The Corps has a long history of protectingCalifornia T&E species, back to 1970 when the salt marshharvest mouse, found in the wetlands of San FranciscoBay, was first listed by the USF&WS.

In 1990, when the winter run of chinook salmon in theSacramento River was listed by NMFS, the Regulatoryprogram in San Francisco and Sacramento districts beganconducting Section 7 consultations with NMFS for rou-tine activities like dredging in San Francisco Bay.

This is not just aWest Coast issue in SPD. Texas has91T&E species (63 animals, 28 plants), Arizona has 56 (39animals and 17 plants), Utah has 44 (22 animals and 22plants), New Mexico has 41 (27 animals and 14 plants),

Nevada has 34 (26 animals and 8 plants), and Coloradohas 33 (20 animals and 13 plants).

Recently, Brig. Gen. Peter Madsen, SPD's commander,suspended use of several permits in Arizona after a U.S.District Court order enjoined the Corps from authorizingprojects under those permits until an analysis was com-pleted on impact to the pygmy owl.

SPD's Regulatory workload pales in comparison withsome divisions like South Atlantic. But T&E species pro-tection and ESA compliance is a growingissue in the West,greatly influencing our ability to provide decisions to theregulated public that protect the aquatic environment.

To help address the frequent and contentious situationsinvolving Corps regulated activities in waters of the U.S.and T&E species protection, Madsen and Michael Spear,former manager of the USF&WS's California/NevadaOperations (CNO) office in Sacramento, initiated an on-going series of executive-level partnering sessions in 1999.

Initially, session attendance was kept small and man-ageable, and included the division and district command-ers, key executives, the CNO manager, and the USF&WSfield office supervisors in California and Nevada. Partici-pation has expanded and often includes the district Regula-tory Branch and Section chiefs, senior SPD Planning staff,and senior USF&WS biologists.

To date, most issues discussed at these partnering ses-sions focus on Regulatory program activities and ESAcom-pliance. In particular, a major issue is the scope ofanalysisfor ESA Section 7 consultations for large private residen-tial developments where a relatively small portion requiresauthorization from the Corps.

Other issues include improving coordination and com-munication, more timely biological opinions, resolvingstaff conflicts at the local level, litigation-driven T&E spe-cies habitat designations, improving interagency coordi-nation on landscape planningefforts, and the Californiaenergy crisis and expediting federal regulatoryreviews forpower projects.

We have expanded this initiative and partnered with theUSF&WS regional office in Albuquerque, N.M., and alsoheld annual Regulatory Coordination Conferences withother federal agencies and state partners in Colorado andCalifornia.

How is the nationwide effort to save threatened and en-dangered species going? The peregrine falcon was firstlisted in 1970 and removed from the federal list in 1999.The peregrine's recovery is an ESA success story, withmany private/public partnerships helping to bring the fal-con back from the brink of extinction.

The bald eagle received a similar level of attention andwas proposed for de-listingin the lower 48 states in 1999.But the USF&WS has yet to finalize the eagle's removalfrom the federal list.

The Corps plays an important role in these ESA successstories, but what we have really accomplished in SPD isimproved working relationships between the USF&WSand Corps, from the executive level down to the biologistsand project managers.

Fish packsbig punch

By Mary Beth HudsonTulsa District

A miniscule minnow packs a powerful punch inTulsa District's Regulatory realm. The ArkansasRiver shiner, less than two inches long, can halt con-struction and heavy equipment.

Historically, the shiner inhabited most of the Ar-kansas River system. More than 80 miles of flowingwater are necessary for the species to adequatelycomplete its reproductive cycle, and recurrent natu-ral flooding is important in maintaining its habitat.

Impoundments, channelization, elimination of ri-parian areas, declining flows, groundwater deple-tion, and surface water usage have threatened itsexistence. It is now on the endangered species list.

In November 1998, the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService (USF&WS) listed the fish as threatened, andlast April granted a critical habitat designation. InTulsa District, more than 800 miles of rivers, in-cluding 300 feet on either shoreline, are affected.

Tulsa District spans from the New Mexico-Texasstate line 480 miles east to the Arkansas-Oklahomastate line, and con-tains several majorwatersheds. Thedistrict has alwayshad threatened spe-cies warranting spe-cial consideration, This fish has a big impactbut this particular on Tulsa District's Regu-designation has an latory program. (Photoenormousimpacton courtesy of Tulsa District)its Regulatory per-mit program. In the past, designated critical habitatwas limited to a few small locations, but due to thewide geographic coverage of the recent shiner desig-nation, more activities will be subject to the require-ments of the Endangered Species Act.

Any proposed construction in the designated areaimpacting the shoreline or water could harm theshiner. So all Clean Water Act Section 404 permitsrequested in the area must consider these effects.

"The critical habitat designation implies that youtreat that area as if the species were occupying it,regardlessof whether it's actually there," said AndyCommer, regulatory project manager. "We're re-quired to be more cautious in authorizing a projectto protect the species."

Any project involving discharge of fill material atthose rivers is affected. "We can't authorize a projectunless we can say there's no impact," said Commer."We have to consider the impacts on endangeredspecies and critical habitat and, if necessary, consultwith the USF&WS."

Since the designation effects such a large area andso many permit requests, Tulsa regulators are work-ing with the USF&WS to develop an evaluation pro-cess to anticipate the adverse effects of typicalprojects, and set forth actions to prevent them. Thisprocess will avoid delays in moving requests throughthe Regulatory process while protectingthe minnow.

"Without this process, we'd have to consult withthe USF&WS on every single project," said Commer.

"What we'd like to do is define a category of ac-tivity based on magnitude of effect," Commer con-tinued. "Then, if the USF&WS will concur withthe generic conditions, a list of provisions will becreated to attach to the typical request."

By breaking things up into categories of activities,district regulators can readily deal with anticipatedeffects. Protection provisions can be agreed uponwithout every project going through a time-consum-ing consultation process.

July2001 ENGINEER UPDATE 9

District streamlines its Reg processBy Kerry Stanley

Galveston District

The regulated public often sees the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers' Regulatoryprogram as a maze. But Galveston Dis-trict has undertaken several efforts tostreamline the process.

To decide where to start, district per-sonnel felt that working with Texas onareas where federal/state duplication ex-isted offered the greatest opportunity forstreamlining.

Permits

One of the first areas of streamlininginvolved some of the district's existingRegional General Permits (RGPs). Forseveral years the district has had sevenRGPs for oil field development in theGulf of Mexico. These permits autho-rize building and maintaining structuresfor producing oil, gas, or other mineralson state-owned land.

The Texas General Land Office(GLO) also requires lease agreements forthese types of projects on all state-ownedlands. To streamline the permit evalua-tion process, the district and the GLOsigned an agreement to transfer the re-view of permit applications for theseRGPs to the GLO. This modification willallow the oil and gas industry to receiveboth program approvals through theGLO. It will also eliminate duplicationof effort and provide more effective useof resources for the Corps and the GLO.

Another area that is receiving stream-lining attention is transportation projects.Galveston District is currently working

A streamlined Regulatory process will help Galveston District preservenatural wetlands like these. (Photo courtesy of Galveston District)

with Fort Worth District and the TexasDepartment of Transportation to developa RGP to streamline the authorization fortransportation projects that have a mini-mal impact on the aquatic environment.

This RGP expedites authorization ofminor recurring work, while maintain-ing provisions to protect the environ-ment, including natural and cultural re-sources. This RGP will reduce adminis-trative procedures and expedite decisionsfor routine transportation projects.

Group

Since May 1998, Galveston Districthas worked with the Permit AssistanceGroup (PAG), a multi-agency task force

under the Texas Coastal CoordinationCouncil. They develop streamlining ini-tiatives for the Corps' Regulatory pro-gram and corresponding state regulatoryprograms (i.e. Texas General Land Of-fice, Texas Natural Resource Conserva-tion Commission, Texas Railroad Com-mission, and Texas Parks and WildlifeDepartment).

The district and the PAG have devel-oped a plan to establish a Permit ServiceCenter (PSC) pilot program to serve as aone-stop Regulatory shop for the publicon the lower Texas coast. The details ofthe PSC operation are currently beingworked out and include having the cen-ter in place by Oct. 1.

After a review of the pilot program, a

Innovative program decreases workloadBy Christine Godfrey

and Joanne BarryNew England District

The Regulatory program of the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers is sensitive and complex, and it must be gearedtoward both efficiency and environmental responsibil-ity. Nationwide, the Corps authorizes more than 40,000projects a year. New England District (NED) accountsfor about 5,000 of them. To be efficient, and to balancethe needs of development with those of protecting im-portant aquatic resources, the Corps must be resourcefuland innovative. A good example is NED's successfulProgrammatic General Permit PGP) program.

Since the early 1990s, NED has taken a new approachto PGP. The district decided to structure the reviewsbased on impact categories, to tie more closely into stateregulatory programs where possible, and to administerPGPs in partnership with the state and federal agencieswho we must coordinate with.

The result has been streamlined, simplified permittingwhich reduced processing times while increasing envi-ronmental protection compared to alternate approaches(a wide variety of regional and nationwide general per-mits and letters of permission).

There are now six comprehensive PGPs (one in eachNew England state) which cover all minimal impactwork. The PGPs join up with state reviews to varyingdegrees depending on the similarities between the stateand federalprograms. In fact, several states changed theirstate laws and regulations to improve the overlap, whichthen enhanced streamlining.

In several states, applicants file with the state agencies.The Corps and federal agencies screen the state applica-tions either at the Corps or directly at the state offices(state applications are accepted by the Corps). The Corpsmakes the determination of eligibility in consultationwith the state and federal resource agencies.

The PGPs also maintain orenhance environmental pro-tection because many moreprojects are quickly screenedwith opportunity for modifica-tion, mitigation, or individualpermit. Most projects are ap-proved, or modified to lessenimpacts to the environment togain approval, during thescreening process.

The PGPs contain a num-ber of special conditions to protect endangered species,historic resources, and other federal issues. They pro-vide latitude in approving work based on impacts ratherthan activity type, and based on agency consensus deci-sion of minimal environmental impact.

Since the PGPs are comprehensive and administeredwith our state and federal partners, the process is simpli-fled and streamlined forthe public. The PGPs have helpedreduce or eliminate inconsistencies and confusion causedby differing state and federal processes, time-frames anddecision making; made federal decisions more timely;and resulted in "one-stop-shopping" for the public.

However, maintaining the commitment to efficienciesand environmental protection demands a variety of

workforce expertise and a willingness to think "win-win."NED's project managers (PMs) come from many fieldssuch as engineering, environmental science, biology, andecology. A technical support section offers assistance tothe PMs in difficult wetland delineations, mitigation planapproval, and suitability determinations for dredgedmaterial disposal in open water.

NED's Regulatory Division operates on the ProjectManagement Business Process team approach. TheProject Management determines the team, whichincludes the applicant, the state and federal agen-cies, and various in-house support staff, and leadsthe project through to the final decision. The PGPcovers more than 98 percent of all permit work ineach state in less than 30 days.

The PGP's flexibility has decreased the number of in-dividual permits formerly processed by NED by morethan 50 percent. (These projects are now covered by thePGP). This, coupled with the more efficient method ofscreening and approving minimal impact work, has re-sulted in a beneficial impact on NED's workload.

In times of increasing applications and level programfunding, the efficiencies of the PGPs have kept theworkload manageable, and processing times down.

NED was the first district to issue comprehensivePGPs replacing the existing permit schemes. Linkingfederal and state reviews, and/or administering the Gen-eral Permit program in a coordinated, consensus-basedfashion has resulted in a simple, predictable, consistentenvironmental permit program across the region.

(Christine Godfrey and Joanne Barry work at NewEngland District's Regulatory Division. Godfrey is thedivision chief )

second center is planned for the upperTexas Coast.

Ideas

The district is currently investigatingother potential ideas to streamline theregulatory process and eliminate furtherduplication between federal and stateregulatory programs. These areas in-clude:

* Developing a RGP for oil and gasdevelopment in inland waters.

* Developing a RGP for Coastal Ero-sion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA)activities for erosion response projects.

*GLO assumption of an existing CorpsRGP for authorizing residential piersbuilt on state-owned lands.

Goals

Galveston District strongly supportsthe idea of streamlining regulatory pro-cesses and is making great strides. How-ever, in all of its efforts to streamline theRegulatory process, the district has keptin mind that streamlining does not meanjust shortening the Regulatory reviewprocess. Rather, the district has used theRegulatory program goals as its guidingprinciples in developing these initiatives.

Those goals are:* To protect the nation's aquatic envi-

ronment, including wetlands.* To enhance the efficiency of the

Corps' Regulatory program administra-tion.

* To ensure the Corps provides theregulated public fair, reasonable deci-sions.

1 0 ENGINEER UPDATE July 2001

TriageBuffalo District applies medical concept to

By Katherine KoszutaBuffalo District

When Lt. Gen. Robert Flowers took command of theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he initiated a "Just Do It"philosophy to empower every Corps employee. But thepersonnel of the Buffalo District Regulatory team had al-ready taken that philosophy to heart well before receivingtheir "Permission Slip."

After months of frustration and abacklog of work, FredDieffenbach, Monitoring and Enforcement Section, andKathleen Ryan, Application Evaluation Ohio Section, de-cided it was time to change the way projects were distrib-uted and handled. Together they developed a new way tohandle work within the Regulatory Branch.

Permit applications for smaller projects often had a turn-around time of several months, and were often pushed tothe bottom of the pile in favor of larger endeavors andhigher priorities. Ryan and Dieffenbach decided that theproblem stemmed from poor workload management. Theexisting system gave little consideration to the number orsize ofprojects a project manager had and, instead, simplydistributed new projects to anyone.

So some project managers had 80 or more projects, whileothers were working on 20 or 30. With such a heavyworkload placed disproportionately on the staff, moralesuffered.

Eventually Ryan and Dieffenbach combined efforts todevelop a more logical way to organize the permit pro-cess. Their system, based on the triage concept, simplyorganized applications from the oldest to the most recentin one database. (Triage is a medical term for sorting pa-tients and allocating treatment, especially after a battle ordisaster.) The Regulatory computer system required aproject manager's name be assigned for each project, sothey created a fictitious project manager, DEBOCQUES,

Kathleen Ryan and Fred Dieffenbach at work"triaging" Regulatory projects. (Photo courtesyof Buffalo District)

or "the box."The triage process is engaged when DEBOCQUES is

full or has reached about 200 files. During triage mode,each project manager spends one day a week working ex-clusively on DEBOCQUES files to reduce workload andkeep it at a manageable level.

The program begins with the sortingprocess, conductedby a team of three project managers and a team leader,assigned on a rotatingbasis each week. This team coordi-nates the preliminary work for each permit application by

its Regulatory projectsreviewing each file, entering basic information into thedatabase, initiating appropriate agency coordination, andrequesting additional information if needed.

With much ofthis preliminary information already gath-eredby the sortingteam, the individual on triage duty sim-ply processes the permit application. Team members of-ten volunteer to perform this duty while awaitinginforma-tion on their bigger projects.

The new system, plus the dedication of every team mem-ber to this process, has decreased the average turnaroundtime for permit applications from 12-16 weeks to aboutfour weeks. The program identified slow spots and prob-lems in the permit process as well. Many team membershad felt a sense of ownership for their projects. By creatingseveral steps in the permit process, the triage process elimi-nated the tendency for one person to work exclusively oneach permit. Now, anyone can pick up a project and con-tinue the process where another person left off.

Triage solved other problems as well. One was the con-stant search for applications when they were scatteredaround the Regulatory Branch, instead ofhavingthem allin one location.

Another problem was the uneven distribution ofprojects. The New York Evaluation Section has the high-est number ofapplications, and only the team members inthat section wereworking on New York permit applica-tions. With the triage process, work is distributed acrosssection lines so that each person has about the same num-ber of projects.

Also, as an extra boost for employee morale, recogni-tion is given to the individual who produced the highestnumber ofpermits at the end of each fiscal year.

The triage approach has contributed many benefits andsolved a few problems for the Regulatory Program at Buf-falo District. The program is still adapting and evolving,but overall it is a great success.

Corps/N.C. partnership restores streamsArticle by Penny SchmittPhoto by Robert Johnson

Wilmington District

A few years ago, Wilmington District's Regulatory Of-fices asked for wetlands mitigation to address streambedlosses and degradation caused by construction.

"We were asking the Department of Transportation andother developers to replace apples with oranges," said Dr.Wayne Wright, Chief of Regulatory Division. "It's goodto have more wetlands, but it's bad to lose the vital re-sources living streams provide."

Workingwith the North Carolina Department of Trans-portation (NCDOT), the State Wildlife Commission, andother agencies, the district has come up with proceduresand agreements that will ultimately lead to restoration andenhancement of streams throughout the state.

The effort began in North Carolina's western counties,which are rich in small mountain streams that make thestate the second most important trout state in the nation.

"Because of stream degradation, we revoked the nation-wide permits from our 25 trout water counties," said Rob-ert Johnson, Chiefofthe Asheville Regulatory Office. "Butthat would have led to an overwhelming number of indi-vidual permit actions. Instead, we've now added the NorthCarolina Wildlife Resources Commission in a review ca-pacity where nationwide permit use is proposed in the troutcounties. We've also developed stream mitgation require-ments that offset impacts to trout resources. Generallythat means two linear feet of stream restored for every onelinear foot consumed by a project."

This 2:1 ratio, now being implemented in a massiveroad-building project on Interstate 26 in the western partof the state, will reclaim 26,000 feet of stream as the projecteats up 13,500 feet. "We're looking at this as the stan-dard," Johnson said.

Signs like this give participating farmers creditfor their work to restore streams.

"As a result of this road project, the North CarolinaDivision of Water Quality has implemented a strong, ef-fective stream mitigation program of their own through-out the state. Other agencies expect these mitigation stan-dards to be applied to all projects," he said.

"The NCDOT dove in with both feet to implement themitigation," Wright said. "We're excited about it! We'reseeing more positive benefits from this approach than fromany other single initiative we've taken for years. The pub-lic will get back natural channels that work."

In fact, Wilmington District and North Carolina aresetting a trend for others to follow. "Bob Johnson of ourAsheville office, and Micky Clemmons of the N.C. Wild-life Commission, have talked to a lot of other state repre-sentatives about what they're doing," Wright said. "Colo-rado, for example, was impressed with the results we got

using the streambed geomorphology Micky learned outthere to upgrade our state's streams."

Plans are under way for a publication that explains thebasics of streambed mitigation. "We're promoting this inthe Corps to our own engineers and planners," Wright said."We have projects being planned for Charlotte andRoanoke that can benefit from what we've learned."

Some techniques used are far less expensive than typicalsolutions like rip-rap or gabions(wire-cagedrockblankets). Thenewer methods include:

* Planting trees and othervegetation to shade the waterand protect its oxygen levels. j

* Installing rock vanes (largerocks to divert flow to the cen-ter of the channel) to create ameanderingchannel, orto formplunge pools.

*Stabilizingbanksusingnatu-ral materials like logs.

*Fencing cattle and other farm animals out ofthe stream.The low cost helps gain the cooperation of developers

and agencies that build projects. "We discovered on the I-26 project that DOT and the Wildlife Commission couldpool their talents and create a streambed relocation for just$30,000," said Stan Hyatt, resident engineer on the 1-26project. "The original contractor proposal would havecost $600,000, and we think we did a better job!"

Work with other agencies, like that National ResourceConservation Service has helped draw the cooperation ofprivate landowners, many of them small farmers.

"There's virtually no limit to the supply of streams outthere that could benefit from this program," Johnson said."We can make a lasting contribution to the health of ourwaterways and their wildlife."

July2001 ENGINEER UPDATE 11

Regulatory work is delicate balanceVirtually every project Savannah Dis-

trict takes on is a balancing act betweenhelping the customer accomplish the mis-sionandprotectingtheenvironment. Some-times the outcome is predictable; some-times it's a cliffhanger.

The predictable

At Fort Stewart, Ga., wetlands stood inthe way of expanding the firing ranges andmaneuver areas. The installation is one ofonly three armor and artillery training ar-eas in the nation with adequate land(279,270 acres) to train troops in maneu-ver exercises that simulate real battle con-ditions.

Because of this, Fort Stewart has activetrainingthroughout theyear. But the cur-rent ranges and maneuver areas were de-signed in the 1950s when the range of tankcannons did not exceed 700 meters (765.5yards). The weapons on tanks and otherarmored fighting vehicles in service todaycan shoot more than 5,000 meters (3.1miles), and can fire accurately while thevehicle is moving at more than 40 mph.

Savannah District's Regulatory Branchknew Fort Stewart's long-range expansionplans would impact wetlands under theirjurisdiction, and worked with the post toestablish a mechanism to mitigate futureunavoidable impacts.

"Unavoidable impacts to wetlands mustbe compensatedby restoringor enhancingwetland resources elsewhere," said MarkPadgett, a biologist in Regulatory Branch."Due to projected long-term impacts towetlands on Fort Stewart, developing amitigation bank was the only reasonableapproach to comply with the 'no net loss'federal policy."A wetland mitigation bank is a site where

wetlands are restored, enhanced or (in ex-ceptional circumstances) preserved or cre-ated to compensate for the authorized de-struction of similar resources.

"The project to site, design, permit,build, and operate a wetland mitigationbank evolved about four years ago, and ithas taken until now to do the studies toestablish the appropriate site, and to gothrough the regulatory channels to get ap-

proval," said David Coleman, chief of Plan-ning Division's Environmental ResourcesBranch. "We wanted to keep the site onthe installation if at all possible, and FortStewart was fortunate that CanoocheeCreek Reservoir was there. It provides themitigation credits necessary to satisfy pro-jected wetland losses, and it is both cost-effective and environmentally sound."

The Canoochee Creek Reservoir (Pond4) is a 1,080-acre impoundment at the in-stallation. In the 1960s, Fort Stewart cre-ated Pond 4 by building an earth damacross about halfa mile of the CanoocheeCreek floodplain to support a tank trail toRed Cloud Range.

"By simply lowering the water level tooriginal elevations we can, in effect, con-vert about 1,000 acres of open water habi-tat back into a hardwood bottom swamp,"said Padgett.

Fort Stewart now has an approved wet-landbank site andwill get about 1,080cred-its out ofthe bank, but not all of itup front.Converting open water backto abottom-land hardwood swamp will take time.

"We started lowering the lake last yearand it's down about 90 percent now," saidColeman. "This year we'll put in culvertsto rehydrate some of the areas and alsomodify the water control structure. Thisshould help take the lake down to near pre-project levels. The area is already repopu-lating itself with trees and shrubbery."

The first project requiring mitigation(Red Cloud Alpha Range upgrade) is beingbuilt with advance credit from the bank Itimpacts 18 acres of wetlands.

The cliffhanger

The project to expand the dangerouscargo parkingarea at Pope Air Force Base,N.C., affects wetlands under SavannahDistrict's jurisdiction, and two opportuni-ties to mitigate the impact had fallenthrough, so for a time it seemed that theproject would not go forward.

The 43d Airlift Wing at Pope AFB pro-vides contingency airlift to the 82d Air-borne Division and other special units atFort Braggright next door. For years the43d has done the hazardous carao part of

Rip-rap and environmental fencing protect Tank Creek during constructionwork at Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, N.C. (Photo by Jonas Jordan,Savannah District)

George Harris (left), Fort Stewart environmental protection specialist, andMark Padgett, Savannah District biologist, visit the Pond 4 mitigation banksite to see the effects of the drawdown. This summer the old CanoosheeCreek channel reappeared from the drained pond. (Photo by Jonas Jordan,Savannah District)

this mission on four aircraft parking spotsat the south corner of the airfield. FortBragg'sdeploymentrequirementsjustifyupto 12 parking spots, but explosives safetyzone requirements limited real estate re-duced expansion possibilities.

Through detailed coordination and plan-ning, the Air Force developed a site planthat would replace the four parking spotswith an apron (2,025x730 feet) large enoughto handle six C-5 aircraft (ormany smallerairplanes) andcomply withthe explosivessafety criteria.The projectwould not onlyincrease load-ingcapacityby y50 percent, butalso enhance mission capability by includ-ing a 600 gallon-per-minute aircraft hy-drant fueling system to serve each parkingspot, alleviating the need for fuel trucks.

About 19 acres of wetlands would bedisplaced permanently or temporarily dur-ingconstructionoftheparkingapron. Theimpacted acreage includes part of TankCreek, an active stream on Pope AFB thatsupports adiverse ecological environmentand is a major drainage channel for stormwater run-offfrom Fort Bragg.

The Air Force had the lead in securingthe environmental approvals and clear-ances from North Carolina (Section 401water-quality permit) and fromWilmington District's Regulatory Branch(Section 404 wetlands mitigation permit).

Savannah District was the design andconstruction agent, working with the cus-tomer and regulators during planning.

Initially, the installation team consideredrestoringor enhancing degraded wetlandsat Pope. Second, they sought to buy wet-lands mitigation credits from an approvedmitigation bank in the same watershed asthe impact area

But as the Air ForceSavannah Districtefforts proceeded, it became apparent thatsufficient acreage did not exist on Pope.

Further, a detailed evaluation of the onlyapproved mitigation bank revealed therewas no available mitigation acreage of thesame type of wetlands. Because wetlandmitigation requirements call for 2-for-1 in-kind mitigation, the mitigation bank cred-its were also unacceptable. Without suit-able mitigation, the new aircraft parkingapron project could not proceed.

"It became clear that we had to lookoutside the parameters that had been con-sidered," said Pete Oddi, Chief of Mili-tary Programs & Project ManagementBranch. "That's when we learned thatNorth Carolina has a Wetlands Restora-tion Program (WRP) where they plan, de-sign, and execute wetlands restorationwithin the state forafee."

This new mitigation opportunity sur-faced duringa meetingthat Savannah Dis-trict facilitated between the North Caro-lina Department of Water Quality, the AirForce environmental staff, Corps regula-tors, and the design team.

Ongoinginformation exchange betweenPope and Fort Braggenvironmental staffsconfirmed that Fort Bragg had plans to re-store degraded wetlands and enhance wild-life habitat at a site on Nursery Road (a130-acre tract north of the installation), butadequate funding had not been providedfor the restoration. North Carolina WRPwas open to taking new wetlands restora-tion projects in Cumberland County, andviewed this as a partnership opportunity.

WRP and Wilmington District evalu-ated and accepted the Nursery Road site assuitable for mitigation. This led to a win-win arrangement for PopeAFB, Fort Bragg;the North Carolina WRP, and SavannahDistrict. The project achieved the requiredwetlands mitigation, Fort Braggacceleratedits Nursery Road project, and Pope AFBreceived credit for the mitigation.

Both Bragg's restoration/mitigation ef-forts and Pope's Dangerous Cargo Apronproject are under way and are either on orahead of schedule. The $23.5 million dan-gerous cargo apron project will be com-pleted no later than February 2004.

(This article was written by MarkPadgett and CraigHarrell.)

12 ENGINEER UPDATE July 2001

Floods lead to faster permit processBy Steve Wright

Huntington District

You could say that 1996 was a vintage year for flood-ing in West Virginia. Four floods fueled by snowmeltand rainfall caused property damage throughout the state.Streams and rivers choked with debris spilled into com-munities and cut new channels through farm fields.

These devastating floods gave Huntington District'sRegulatory Section the chance to devise a new way toissue permits for post-flooding stream restoration in WestVirginia.

In the aftermath of this widespread flooding and mas-sive property damage, the West Virginia Department ofEnvironmental Protection waived its Section 401 author-ity to expedite emergency watershed protection work.During this time, local government agencies and indi-vidual landowners worked in streams without benefit ofrequired permits. Clear excesses occurred with environ-mental damage and poorly engineered stream restorationand flood protection projects.

A graphic example of environmental damage andpoorly designed, unsafe flood control efforts occurred inWebster County in central West Virginia. County offi-cials received $80,000 in state funds for work on the ElkRiver. The county rented bulldozers, excavators, andbackhoes and put them to work in a quality trout stream.They rerouted a mile of the Elk River, stripped riparianvegetation from the banks, and moved 400,000 cubicyardsof stream sediment. The flood control features includedbuilding stone cobble levees without regard to design,safe engineering, or construction processes.

"What they've done is to stack up huge piles of loose,smooth cobble from the riverbed, expecting that thosepiles will hold back the high-velocity flows you get dur-ing a flood," said Mike Spoor of Huntington District'sGeotechnical Branch in an interview with the CharlestonDaily Mail. "In essence, they've stacked a bunch ofmarbles and expect to form a watertight levee."

Responding to the Webster County work and other re-ported problems, Huntington District's Regulatory staffdeveloped an expedited permit process to properly re-store streams after flooding. Working with PittsburghDistrict, the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service (USF&WS), and West Virginia agen-cies including the Soil Conservation Agency and depart-ments of Natural Resources, Highways, EnvironmentalProtection, plus private interest groups, Huntington Dis-trict developed two post-flood regional permits for streamrestoration.

First permit

The first regional permit issued by the district underthe authority granted by Section 10 of the Rivers andHarbors Act and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act wasfor stream restoration by the West Virginia ConservationAgency. It authorizes debris and deposition removal,bank stabilization, and channel restoration, tasks the SoilConservation Agency has experience with and is uniquelycapable of accomplishing.

Concurrently, the West Virginia Division of Environ-mental Protection granted state 401 Water Quality Certi-fication to the Soil Conservation Agency subject to onsitereview during site investigation and project design.

Armed with these permit authorities, the Soil Conser-vation Agency can rapidly restore streams in counties

This portion of Elk River in West Virginia was relocated without a Corps permit. The road was theoriginal channel. County officials hired workers to move 400,000 cubic yards of material. The earthand rock cobble dike has since failed. (Photo courtesy of Huntington District)

declared disaster areas by the governor. A condition ofthe regional permit is that the Soil Conservation Agencygive five-day notice to the resource agencies (USF&WS,and the state divisions of Environmental Protection andNatural Resources) before initiating work. This notifica-tion is an invitation for the agencies, including the Corps,to evaluate the restoration site.

Second permit

The second regional permit allows landowners to re-store streams by doing work that may include excavationof deposits, reducing sand and gravel bars, bank stabili-zation, channel restoration, and maintenance of previ-ously approved work.

This work also is granted state 401 water quality certi-fication.

Individuals doingstream restoration under this regionalpermit must obtain technical assistance from the stateSoil Conservation Agency. The agency will develop aplan for proposed work, and the landowner's restorationwork must conform to the plan and the conditions of theregional permit.

Again, the Soil Conservation Agency has the ability todevelop proper plans to help landowners restore streams,and the regional permit allows both the agency to pro-vide this assistance, and the landowner to carry it out.

Also, the regional permits are similar in that resourceagencies are invited to be part of the site evaluation team.

Lance Tabor, Executive Director of the state Soil Con-servation Agency, said the number of applications forindividual permits demonstrates the program's success.

"We have a reasonable system, and the proof of that isthe tremendous number of applications we receive," Ta-bor said. "The regional permit has resolved a lot of thehostility of the individual landowners. Now they cancome to us and have a workable plan developed that meetsthe guidelines."

Russ Campbell of the Soil Conservation Agency worksdirectly with the regional permit program. He points to a30-day turnaround from an application by the landowner,to a permit to restore the stream with an approved plandeveloped by the agency.

"The program is working well," Campbell said."We've had 525 applications since the regional permitwas approved in 1998."

Mike Gheen, Chief of Huntington District's Regula-tory Section said that non-permitted work after the 1996flood underscored the need to find a workable interagencysolution to flood restoration. The two regional permitsmeet this requirement.

"The Soil Conservation Agency has become a one-stopshop," Gheen said. "They look for a solution to streamrestoration problems within the criteria established bythe permits, then move ahead. They notify all agenciesinvolved in a timely manner and everyone has the oppor-tunity to be part of the solution."

More important than repairing the damage after the1996 floods is the effective interagency approach to pre-vent future problems. The keystone of this cooperationare the regional permits. The permits cut through redtape, give authority to a capable agency, allow resourceagency oversight, and gets the job done in a safe, techni-cally sound, and environmentally responsible manner.

Regulatory ProgramProtecting the Nation's Water Resources

July 2001 ENGINEER UPDATE 13Wildlife management

Special hunts help animals, peopleBy Patty Bates

Vicksburg District

Throughout the nation, millions ofacres are controlled and administered bythe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Oneof the Corps' most important missions ismanaging natural resources, which cov-ers an array of activities from forestry tofisheries to wildlife management.

Managing wildlife on project lands is arewarding yet labor-intensive endeavor.Certain wildlife populations can quicklyincrease when lands are designated no-hunting areas and the region has few natu-ral predators. Occasionally, when situa-tions like this occur, wildlife populationscan exceed the capacity of the land. Thisresults in disease and starvation amongthewildlife population.

In the absence of natural predators suchas wolves or mountain lions, the most ef-fective method of thinning overpopulatedwildlife is controlled hunting. A numberof Corps projects use this method to con-trol their wildlife populations and ensuretheir health and survival.

For example, Arkabutla Lake, a flooddamage reduction project in northwestMississippi, faced this problem. Thelake's natural (undeveloped) area coversmore than 1,000 acres which were desig-nated a no-hunting area due to its proxim-ity to project recreation sites.

Duringtheyears, the natural area's resi-dent deer herd grew until, in the late1980s, the herd exceeded the land's abil-ityto provide enough food duringthe win-ter. In 1990, browse lines could be readilyseen even when supplemental food plotswere established throughout the area.(Browse lines are the boundaries visiblewhen deer strip vegetation and leaves asfar up as they can reach.)

Disabled hunt

The lake staff needed to reduce the size

Volunteers help a handicapped hunter prepare to travel into the woods.(Photo courtesy of Vicksburg District)

of the deer herd. After considering sev-eral options, a controlled hunt in the natu-ral area seemed to be the answer. This ledto the lake's first hunt for persons withdisabilities. The event reduced the size ofthe deer herd, and allowed hunters thechance to participate in a recreation thatmost people take for granted.

The lake staff established shootingzones and stands for safety, and recruiteda small army of volunteers to help thehunters get in and out of the woods.

This special event has become an im-portant part of the lake's wildlife manage-ment plan. Not only does it help managethe deer population, it is also therapeutic.Every year there are new participants whoare still adjusting to their handicaps, andold veterans of the hunt show them thatlife goes on.

This year's event, the 10th, drew 47participants who harvested 36 deer.Forty-five volunteers donated 1,191 man-

hours, resulting in another successful pro-gram.

Archery

While the physically challenged hunthas been a huge success, the deer popula-tion was still higher than acceptable. In1999 the lake staff decided to establish apublic archery draw hunt during the lasttwo weeks of the Mississippi archery sea-son.

The event occurred for the first time inJanuary 2000. Open to all legally licensedMississippi archery hunters, this addi-tional management tool has the same ob-jectives as the physically challenged hunt.It also gives a large group of taxpayers achance to enjoy public land.

This year, 172 archers applied for 100slots. Five deer were harvested, whichwill help maintain a manageable herd ofhealthy whitetail deer.

Raccoons

The lessons learned from managing thedeer population spilled over into manag-ing raccoons. In 1994 the raccoon popu-lation at Arkabutla Lake was booming.Nature's little bandit could be seen every-where throughout the park As quickly asthe sun went down or the crowds startedto leave, they were plying their trade.These creatures are highly skilled at re-moving garbage can lids when searchingfor food left behind by the lake's two mil-lion annual visitors.

But this time nature intervened. A dis-ease called distemper nearly erased theraccoon population from ArkabutlaLake's Natural Area. After the diseasetook its toll, the Arkabutla Lake FieldOffice, in partnership with the NorthwestMississippi Coon Hunters Association(NMCHA), decided to manage the rac-coon population to prevent a disease fromravaging the species again.

Youth hunt

This cooperation gave birth to theArkabutla Lake Youth Raccoon Hunt,which has been very successful. The num-ber of animals harvested helped maintaina viable population. In addition, it helpstrain young sportsmen in firearm safety,dog training, and the natural resourcemanagement rules established by theCorps.

Since the inception of the program,many of the adults now leading huntsstarted out as youth participants, and arepassing along invaluable knowledge to thenext generation of hunters.

The wildlife management practices inplace, plus these hunts, bolster public sup-port for Arkabutla Lake. All parties in-volved understand each other's role inmaintaining a viable, sustainable wildlifepopulation for viewing, education, andhunting.

Dredged material builds football fieldBy Elizabeth SlagelHuntington District

Siltation trapped in Fishtrap Lake has found a new homeat no cost to the government. Instead of clogging a lake,the silt will be playing football.

Resource manager T.C. Music said that the Pike CountySchool Board dredged 260 truckloads of material fromthe Lick Creek area to form a 10-inch base for a footballfield at the county's new high school.

Board employee Lloyd Fields approached Music aboutthe school board paying to remove fine-grain materialfrom the lake to use as topsoil for East Ridge High School'sfootball and soccer fields.

"I really didn't know how to make it happen, but Iknew it was a good idea," Music said.

He took the idea to Arlie Bishop, Chief of TechnicalSupport Branch, who bounced the idea around and latergot the idea of a no-cost contract from Real EstateDivision's Gary Bennett.

Bennett said, "It's simply a win/win situation. Cur-rently I'm pretty sure this is the only one we have in thedistrict. I knew it could be done, and had heard of it

Dredged material will build the playing surface atEast Ridge High School. (Photo courtesy ofHuntington District)

being done before."The plan began with employees at Fishtrap writing

specifications for the work. Contracting specialist Jim

Nutter put together the contract. He also ensured that thesafety plan was acceptable, and that the school board hada certificate of insurance to cover all workers, accordingto JoAnna Black, Chief of Contracting Division.

To be safe, specialists from the Water Quality Sectiontested the soil for contaminants before removal. Withinseven days, 9,100 cubic yards of material were scrapedfrom the Lick Creek area providing better access to theboat launch ramp.

Music said that siltation in this area is a recurringprob-lem, but the project simply doesn't have the money todeal with it.

"We now have better access to our launch ramp," Mu-sic said. "It would have been very expensive for us todo this."

Contracting Division estimates that this job could havecost the Corps up to $300,000. Instead, it didn't costanything and East Ridge High School is now that muchcloser to completion.

The contract extends until next March, and the boardhas plans to return to the site in the fall to get more mate-rial for the soccer field. The school will open in the fallof 2002.

14 ENGINEER UPDATE July 2001

Economist balances old job, new callBy Judy MarsicanoFort Worth District

At that moment, she didn't look like an economist whoworks for an engineer outfit.

Lanora Wright looked down from the pulpit with asmile that illuminated the room. With open arms, shedelivered her message with the warmth and sincerity of aclose personal friend. The story was of slavery and free-dom, of pride and prejudice, and the right of a people toequality. Next time, the topic would be different, but itwould be communicated with just as much conviction,charisma, and enthusiasm.

Wright, an economist with Fort Worth District, hasgiven a lot of sermons as associate pastor and director ofeducation at St. Andrews United Methodist Church inFort Worth, Texas. But her life changed dramaticallywhen she heeded the call to go deeper into the mission ofthe church. Two years ago, Wright enrolled at Brite Di-vinity School at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

"I never felt like I was missing meaning in my life, orhad some kind of tragedy that turned me to God, likesome people might think. I was at the top of my game,"Wright said. "I started seminary so I could complete theeducation requirement for ordination in the church, be-cause I wanted to learn more about my Christian heritageand belief system and gain more credibility."

Wright feels herjob with Fort Worth District as a projectmanager and economist has given her opportunities tohelp many people improve their quality of life.

"I witnessed the aftermath of the flooding caused byTropical Storm Charley in Del Rio, Texas, and the de-plorable conditions people were living in following theflooding in Dallas in 1989 and 1990," Wright said.

"Seeing the devastation and meeting the victims face-to-face helped me gain a new perspective on the meaningof suffering, and gave me a vision of hope," she contin-ued. "Without a vision, development of a solution isimpossible for a project manager. People work harder

Lanora Wright greets a member of thecongregation after one of her sermons. (Photocourtesy of Fort Worth District)

when they have vision and a sense of hope."Recognized again and again for her keen technical abili-

ties, her procedural knowledge, negotiations, and moti-vation skills, Wright has led the way in solving floodingproblems for a large number of low-income communi-ties, always lending that sympathetic ear so important inpublic service.

"Now, with my seminary training, I can help meet theneeds of others on the spiritual as well as the physicallevel," she said.

Wright's economic analysis enabled Fort Worth Dis-trict to formulate, receive approval, and build the district'sfirst nonstructural buy-out of 11 homes along acreek in aFort Worth suburb. Because of her involvement and thetrust she instilled in city officials, she was asked to take

part in dedication ceremonies when the project was com-pleted in 1997.

And she has the respect of her peers."Lanora is a team player and has very high expecta-

tions of others, but not any higher than those she placeson herself," said Jerry McCrory, Chief of Civil Branch,Programs and Project Management Division. "She is thedistrict's resident expert on the Corps' Flood DamageAssessment program and the senior economist on all ourprojects. Not only has she has been able to maintain herexpertise as an economist, but she has been able to con-tinue in her divinity studies."

Balancing all the missions in her life has been a chal-lenge for Wright. Working full-time, and attending schoolfull-time while maintaining a 3.5 grade point average,plus serving in the church, leaves little time for anythingelse. But having family members also involved in herchurch provides much-needed support.

"My husband sings, ushers, and teaches in the church,and he's an excellent sounding board for preparing mysermons and lesson plans," said Wright. "My daughter,brother, sister, and mother also work in the church andwholeheartedly support my ministry."

Wright's supervisors have been supportive as well, al-lowing her to attend divinity classes during workdayswhen necessary.

"My 15 years with Fort Worth District has preparedme for leadership in the church," said Wright. "I wasencouraged early in my career to join Toastmasters Inter-national, the Federal Women's Program, and to serve asthe district's Black Program manager, and I've learned tocommunicate with people of all ages, cultures, and back-grounds.

"I'm blessed to work with a group of people who are asdedicated and committed to helping people as I am," sheadded. "No one placed in a leadership role can do the jobalone. It takes the caring attitude of the whole team."

Wright plans to leave Fort Worth District on July 31 towork full-time on her master of divinity degree at Brite.

Railroad watches are fascinating hobbyArticle and Photo

By Bill PeoplesNashville District

A leathery hand tugs on a chain andpulls a gold watch from a pocket. Thelocomotive engineer quickly glances at it,then nods to a black-clad man down onthe platform.

"Aaaallaboooard the ten-oh-five boundfor Chicagooo, "the conductor calls.

A scene that happened throughout thecountry in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies, a story made possible by a pre-cision instrument designed to keep trainson time and to avoid deadly accidents.

Many clocks and watches deserve fas-cination, but none more so than the rail-road pocket watches of 100 years ago.Many people today collect these watchesfor their value, distinctive style, and richhistory. One collector is Nashville Dis-trict team member Carl Olsen, a projectmanager in Regulatory Branch.

"Railroad watches are unique," saidOlsen. "Not only were they designed foraccuracy to prevent railroad accidents, butwere designed to be used as tool by rail-road workers. Railroad watches come inmany different styles, but I limit my col-lectingto about three different categories- railroad watches, fancy dial watches,and solid gold or multi-colored goldwatches."

Railroad watches are unique because

Five examples of traditional railroad watches show the particular detailsrequired of these precise timepieces.

they are designed to be set and inspectedby a watch repairman at regular intervals,usually weekly. The railroads had a de-tailed set of standards for their watches--lever set, precise to 30 seconds a week, atleast a 19 jewel movement, and an open

face with Arabic numerals.Olsen started his watch collection both

as a hobby and as an investment."I've been collecting for about five

years," said Olsen. "I was looking aroundfor a good investment opportunity that had

good earnings potential for retirement. Atabout the same time, I got interested inrailroad watches and found that selectedtypes are a good investment."

Although time and resources restrictsome of his collecting activities, Olsen hasamassed several hundred railroad pocketwatches, which range in price from undera $100 to more than $1,000.

"It's fascinating, because you neverknow what you're goingto find next," saidOlsen. "I look for watches on the Internet,in magazines devoted to collecting, and atauctions. Usually, you look at a lot ofwatches before you find one that catchesyour eye. I look at how much a watch iscurrently worth and what are the chancesof it going up in value."

Each watch is unique, whether it is thecase, the face, or the design. The worth ofthe watch is determined by its conditionand the rarity of its design and features.

"All the watches I collect are antiques,but to me it's much more interesting than,say, collecting coins, because you're notonly holding an antique but a piece ofhis-tory," said Olsen. "You can look at one ofthese watches and imagine a conductor orengineer pulling it out and checking to seeif the train was on time, and with a surenod slipping it back into his pocket."

Steam gushes from the locomotivewhistle, sendingalongpiercingwailring-ingthrough thestation. The train starts tomove and the conductorleaps aboard...

July2001 ENGINEERUPDATE 15

Around the CorpsGeneral officer news

Maj. Gen. Hans Van Winkle moves from Deputy Com-manding General for Civil Works, to Deputy Chief ofEngineers/Deputy Commanding General, report date tobe determined.

Brig. Gen. Randal Castro moves from Commander ofPacific Ocean Division to Assistant Commandant of theU.S. Army Engineer School and Deputy CommandingGeneral of Initial Entry Training at Fort Leonard Wood,Mo., report date to be determined.

Brig. Gen. Robert Griffin moves from CommandingGeneral of Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, DeputyCommanding General for Civil Works, report date to bedetermined.

Brig. Gen. Steven Hawkins moves from Deputy Com-manding General for Military Programs to Command-ing General of Great Lakes and Ohio River Division,report date to be determined.

Brig. Gen. Ronald Johnson moves from Assistant Com-mandant of the U.S. Army Engineer School and DeputyCommanding General of Initial Entry Training at FortLeonard Wood, Mo., to Commander of Pacific OceanDivision, report date to be determined.

Brig. Gen. Peter Madsen moves from CommandingGeneral of South Pacific Division to Commanding Gen-eral of South Atlantic Division, report date to be deter-mined.

Brig. Gen. Carl Strock moves from Commanding Gen-eral of Northwestern Division to Deputy CommandingGeneral for Military Programs, report date to be deter-mined.

Col. Robert Davis moves from Chief of Staff, Corps ofEngineers, to Commanding General of South Pacific Di-vision, report date to be determined, and Senate confir-mation required.

Col. David Fastabend moves from Executive Officerto the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army to CommandingGeneral of Northwestern Division, report date to be de-termined, and Senate confirmation required.

Allison responseThe Corps is aggressively supporting flood recovery

activities in Texas and Louisiana in the wake of heavyrains and flooding left by Tropical Storm Allison.

A number of Corps response and recovery teams havedeployed from throughout the nation and are on the scene.The president has issued disaster declarations for 28 coun-ties in Texas and 23 parishes in Louisiana.

At the request of the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency (FEMA), the Corps activated Emergency Sup-port Function 3 (Public Works and Engineering) in theFEMA Regional Operations Center in Denton, Texas,shortly after the storm struck in early June.

As of June 19, Southwestern Division (SWD) had dis-tributed 99,000 sandbags in response to flooding. By thatdate, FEMA had also given SWD mission assignmentstotaling $1.65 million for supplying emergency power,temporary housing, debris removal, dewatering, debrismonitoring, and one unusual $1.1 million mission forpower support at the Texas Medical Center in Houston.

As of June 19, 74 Corps personnel were directly in-volved in flood-recovery work, with 45 actually deployedto the stricken regions. Scores more are supporting theefforts from their home stations.

Brewerton Channel ExtensionConstruction began April 12 to widen the Brewerton

Channel Eastern Extension in the Port of Baltimore. The450-foot channel will be widened to 600 feet to lessen thetime ships spend getting in and out of the port, loweringthe operating and pilotage costs.

The Brewerton Channel Eastern Extension is five mileslong and runs roughly east-west across the ChesapeakeBay. It connects the port to channels to the Chesapeakeand Delaware Canal. A study by the Waterways Experi-ment Station showed that widening the channel wouldmake it safer than its current width. Pilots from the Asso-

ciation ofMaryland Pilots ran simulations navigating shipsunder various weather and tide conditions. The resultsshowed that a channel 600 feet wide reduced mishaps.

The project will remove about 2.5 million cubic yardsof clean dredged material and place it at the Poplar IslandEnvironmental Restoration project site. The project willrestore of an island in the Chesapeake Bay that had erodedalmost completely away. The work is scheduled forcompletion later this summer.

Water safety photo contestThe Corps' National Water Safety Committee is spon-

soring two Corps wide photo contests focusing on watersafety. The first contest will cover the spring/summerrecreation season, and the second will cover the fall/win-ter season. The contests are open to all Corps employees.

Both contests have the same categories:* Boating, both commercial and recreation.e Visitors at Corps facilities and waters.* Corps employees in action.* Special events.* Scenic.Submissions can be either 35mm slides or digital im-

ages on CD-ROM or zip diskSubmit contest entries to your Division Water Safety

Committee representative. Include the photographer'sname, project, date taken, and category.

Deadline for spring/summer entries is Aug. 15; dead-line for fall/winter entries is March 30.

Lewis and Clark Web sitesThere are two Web sites for information about the

200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition.Within the Corps, there is an Intranet site at

w3.nwk.usace.army.mil. The site is updated quarterly.Nationwide, the National Council for the Lewis and

Clark Bicentennial has a site atwww.lewisandclark200.org. That site has a calendar ofevents by date and location, a bibliography, and generalinformation about the expedition.

New river walkCity, state, and federal representatives, plus about 200

members of the public recently opened the Canal WalkUpper Extension in Indianapolis. The Downtown CanalWalk is about three blocks long. The extension is theresult of a partnership among Indianapolis, the WhiteRiver State Park Commission, and Louisville District.

The district coordinated the extension construction.The extension adds several new features to the CanalWalk, notably a new waterfall powered by two wells thatpump about 1,750 gallons of water per minute throughthe historic Holton Gates. The gates were once used tocontrol the flow of water to downtown. Other new fea-tures include a boat ramp, landscaping, and an amphithe-ater built with blocks of Indiana limestone.

Corps Engineer of the YearThe National Society of Professional Engineers

(NSPE) recently selected Claude Strauser, Chief of Hy-drologic and Hydraulics Branch in Louisville District, asthe Corps' Federal Engineer of the Year. The top 10finalists in the 2001 Federal Engineer of the Year Pro-gram were honored at the 22nd Annual National Engi-neers Week luncheon at Fort Myer, Va.

The Federal Engineer of the Year Award program rec-ognizes outstanding engineers in the federal government.Strauser was one of 10 finalists; an engineer from Healthand Human Services was picked as the Federal Engineerof the Year.

"Over the last three decades, Strauser has led a team ofengineers and scientists and created what we believe tobe a new field of engineering, appropriately called 'Envi-ronmental River Engineering,"' wrote Brig. Gen. EdwinArnold, Jr., Mississippi River Division Engineer, whonominated Strauser.

Concrete Institute honorDr. Bryant Mather, Director Emeritus of the Struc-

tures Laboratory and one of the nation's foremost expertson concrete, recently received the Arthur R. AndersonAward from the American Concrete Institute (ACI). Theaward was bestowed "in recognition of [Mather's] count-less contributions to the knowledge base for cement andconcrete technology, and the effective transfer of thisknowledge to others through professional papers, pre-sentations, and standards development activities."

Power plant permitOn May 26, New York District granted a federal per-

mit to Athens Generating Company, L. P. to build a 1,080megawatt gas-fired electric generating plant in the Ath-ens, N.Y. This is the first new power plant constructionin New York in a decade.

The area is rich in scenic, cultural, historical, and en-vironmentally sensitive resources, but through extensivefederal and state permit reviews the project has beenmodified to avoid or minimize impact. The plant will bebuilt about two miles from the Hudson River, but in-cludes an intake/outfall structure in the west bank oftheriver. Less than one acre of wetlands would be perma-nently lost, with temporary impact to 4.14 acres wet-lands and waterways.

The plant will use a relatively new technology calledcombined-cycle turbines, which produces a tiny fractionof the air pollution from older plants. It will use drycooling, a more expensive method of cooling turbinesthat uses only 185,000 gallons of water daily.

Renovated officers' quartersRecycling isn't necessarily limited to paper and soda

cans. Witness the newly renovated unaccompanied of-ficers' quarters at Schofield Barracks. Honolulu Districtmanaged the project.

The temptation was strong to demolish Bldgs. 784, 786,and 788 and start over, but they were sound enough towarrant renovation, and it was significantly cheaper todo so. The 39 dark, damp old rooms have been trans-formed into modern apartments.

The $3.75 million renovations included new roofs,windows, doors, keyless entry locks, cable TV, and airconditioning. The units were rewired, have new plumb-ing, full carpets, and a kitchen. Each building has its ownlaundry room that is accessible with an apartment keycard, and the quarters are walking distance to the postexchange and commissary.

Value engineering awardsThree Corps people and offices were honored during

the DoD 2001 Value Engineering/Value Management(VE/VM) Achievement Awards ceremony on June 6 inthe Pentagon Auditorium.

William Brown Sr., Deputy Director of Military Pro-grams, received the Outstanding Program Managementaward. Military Programs has saved more than $101million in the past two years. Last year's work on bar-racks has the potential for up to $1 billion in better use offunds during the next seven years, while offering largerquarters and better amenities for soldiers.

Eugene Degenhardt, St. Louis District's Value Engi-neering Officer, received the OutstandingValue Engineer-ing Professional award. He has led the district's VE/VMProgram for 19 years, documenting more than $130 mil-lion in cost savings. He has conducted more than 130workshops, studies, and seminars, and taught VE/VMmethods to more than 2,200 students.

Chicago District received the Outstanding InstallationAward. Col. Mark Roncoli, District Engineer, acceptedthe award. The district successfully uses VE/VM to ad-dress issues that have not been resolved to their custom-ers' satisfaction. By using VEIVM methods, ChicagoDistrict has netted more than $40 million in cost savingsand avoidance.

16 ENGINEER UPDATE July 2001

Fisher Foundation honors Corps workIn a landmark partnership between

Fisher House Foundation Inc., and theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the firstFisher House built outside the U.S. wasdedicated in Landstuhl, Germany, onJune 18. The foundation honored theCorps with their Legacy Award for theproject.

The 28 Fisher houses in the U.S. (andnow Europe) are comfortable, temporaryhomes for the families of hospitalized ser-vice members. They are built near medi-cal facilities so family members can staynearby when their loved ones are under-going medical care. The charge is about$10 per night.

The houses are a refuge for "families incrisis," according to Gen. MontgomeryMeigs, Commander of U.S. Army Europe(USAREUR).

"One of the difficult things for the chainof command is reaching out to the familywhen they have to deal with this sort ofcrisis," said Meigs. "This facility willmake that process more capable and effi-cient."

Before the Fisher House was built, fami-lies stayed in billeting at Landstuhl Re-gional Medical Center or a hotel in theGerman community. The LandstuhlFisher House is located between the hos-pital and on-post housing. It is a 5,600-square-foot home with eight rooms serv-ingup to 16 family members. Two roomson the lower floor are handicapped acces-sible. Each room has a bath. There is acommon dining room, living room, andlaundry facilities.

The Fisher House Foundation pays forconstruction of the houses before givingthem to the U.S. government. The housesare run by local staff and volunteers whodo whatever they can to help families.The Landstuhl facility marks the secondhouse opening since the death of notedphilanthropist Zachary Fisher who beganbuilding the houses with the support ofhis wife, Elizabeth. Zachary Fisher diedon June 4, 1999.

The plaque above every Fisher Housereads, "Their gift is dedicated to our great-est national treasure...our military servicemen and women and their loved ones."

During the dedication ceremony,Arnold Fisher, President, Chairman, and

Sgt. Steven Geniuk and his wife Nancy are one of the first families staying at Arnold Fisher, CEO of the Fisherthe Fisher House near the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. While U.S. Foundation, presents the Legacymilitary personnel are undergoing medical treatment, Fisher Houses provide Award to Maj. Gen. Milton Hunter,their family members a comfortable, inexpensive place to stay. (Photo by Deputy Chief of Engineers. (PhotoAlicia Gregory, Europe District) by Alicia Gregory, Europe District)

CEO of the Fisher House Foundation, pre-sented the Fisher House Legacy Award tothe Corps. Maj. Gen. Milton Hunter,Deputy Chief of Engineers, accepted theaward. The Legacy Award was createdafter Zachary Fisher's death to honor or-ganizations demonstrating a tradition ofoutstanding service to the quality of lifeof U.S. military service members and theirfamilies.

This was only the second time theLegacy Award has been presented. Thefirst time was on Sept. 26 at the FisherFoundation's annual Founders Day din-ner in Washington, D.C. There the awardwas presented to the medical departmentsof the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and tothe Under Secretary of Veterans Affairsfor Health.

"As you know, we in the Fisher Houseare builders," Fisher said as he presentedthe award to Hunter. "But this FisherHouse is different from its 27 predeces-sors because, for the first time since theprogram began 10 years ago, we've built ahouse with a partner, the Army Corps of

Engineers. To the members of the Corps,we acknowledge your professionalism,expertise, and knowledge. I'm not sayingwe couldn't have built the house withoutout you, but you certainly made our job alot easier. On behalf of our constructionteam...we say thank you to the men andwomen of the Corps of Engineers, fromthe Headquarters in Washington, D.C., tothe field office here in Germany."

"Receivingthe Fisher Foundation's fifthLegacy Award is a bigdeal," said Hunter."It shows how well the partnership be-tween the Corps and the Fisher Founda-tion worked. The Fisher Foundation'sgenerosity to America's service membersand their families is overwhelming. I'mglad the Corps of Engineers is able to playa role in such a good cause."

Landstuhl was already on the FisherHouse Foundation's list of building siteswhen the terrorist attack on the USS Colelast October once again thrust LandstuhlRegional Medical Center into the publicspotlight as a treatment center for Ameri-can military casualties. Fisher saw an

immediate need to speed up the buildingof Landstuhl's Fisher House.

After the groundbreaking last Novem-ber, completion of the Landstuhl FisherHouse took half the time expected, onlyabout six months.

The success was due to the teamworkbetween Fisher House Foundation andCorps officials working on the project,according to Ray Flock, chief of theProject Management Section of the U.S.Army Engineer Group.

"To pull this together, USAREUR hadto find a site, the money to fund that site,and get the approval to build the houseitself," said Flock. "It pulled together allthe team members-engineers, legal, andcontracting."

"I'm really proud of Europe District,"Hunter commented. "It took a phenom-enal effort to complete this project in justsix months."

(USAREUR pressrelease. Alicia Gre-gory ofthe Europe District PublicAffairsOfice, and Bernard Tate ofHeadquarters,also contributed to this article.)

Fisher Houses are designed to provide a comfortable, homelike environment.(Photo by Arthur McQueen, USAREUR Public Affairs Office)

The mission of Fisher Houses is clearly displayed above the main entranceof each house. (Photo by Alicia Gregory, Europe District)

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