Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), and Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA) urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to strengthen its communication and coordination with partners, especially Tribal communities.
“Partnerships are the bedrock of the Corps project delivery process,” the members wrote. “Thorough and effective communication between the Corps and non-federal sponsors can lead to terrific success stories, where whole communities see the benefits of these projects. However, when effective communication is lacking or non-existent, it limits opportunities for successful, locally-supported resolution of local water resources challenges.”
The members continued: “We urge you to take action to ensure that every tribal community has the needed information, accessibility, and consultation with the Corps to access these funds and build positive working relationships to advance their projects.”
Water Resources Development Acts (WRDA), which the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has developed and passed on a bipartisan and biennial basis since 2014—are critical to addressing local water resource challenges in all 50 states, territories, and Tribal communities. In WRDA 2020, Congress aimed to improve communication and coordination with under-served partners by requiring the Corps to engage minority and Tribal communities on policies and projects, expanding Corps’ consultation requirements with Tribal and indigenous groups when working on or adjacent to Tribal lands and areas, and increasing authorization for the Tribal Partnership Program.
The Committee is currently working on the formulation of a new WRDA for 2022.
The full letter can be found here.
