Courtesy Photo | The logo of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, headquartered in...... read more read more
Today, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam R. Telle announced a major initiative, “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork,” for the Army’s Civil Works program.
“Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” will provide greater focus on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) core Civil Works missions, while minimizing non-core programs, direct funding to priority water resources projects that will provide the greatest benefits to the nation, shorten permitting timelines, and reduce or eliminate extraneous regulations and paperwork that slow USACE’s delivery of Civil Works projects and programs.
“President Trump has empowered his administration to work with lightspeed efficiency to make our government deliver more for all Americans. The Army Civil Works’ ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ initiative will enable the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deliver critical projects and programs for the nation more efficiently, sooner, and at less cost than the current ways of doing business,” said Telle. “This will eliminate bureaucratic delays and provide fast, clear decisions needed to save lives and empower our economy.”
“Continuous Army transformation is about rapidly delivering war winning capabilities to the Army today, not years in the future. But that’s not all; we’re also transforming at home, too,” said Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll. “I’m incredibly proud of the ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ (BINP) transformation initiative the Army Civil Works and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams recently unveiled. BINP will build and strengthen American infrastructure across our nation, increasing resiliency and providing tangible, long-lasting value for the American people.”
“Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” will enable USACE district commanders around the nation to execute the Civil Works projects and programs that benefit the nation. USACE commanders will be empowered to take informed risks in advancing critical water resources projects and programs to completion faster and at less cost. The policy changes will also bring greater transparency and accountability for the program to the American public, project partners and sponsors, industry, and the elected leaders who make the annual funding decisions for the Civil Works program.
The plan consists of 27 initiatives grouped under five categories: · Maximizing the Ability to Deliver National Infrastructure · Cutting Red Tape · Focus on Efficiency · Transparency & Accountability · Prioritization
The initiatives do not affect USACE execution of its emergency response support to natural and manmade disasters.
“The U.S. Army’s Civil Works program has been an invaluable cornerstone for more than 200 years. ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ will return USACE to a focus on its core missions and ensure the enterprise continues to be the most trusted national resource delivering water resources solutions,” added Telle. “This is only possible with President Trump’s leadership that has enabled our team to maximize our ability to deliver national infrastructure and cut red tape for the American people.”
By focusing on efficiency and maximizing infrastructure delivery, the “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” initiative helps the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District enhance its critical missions across the Great Lakes. This focus on streamlining drives improvements across the board, from applying the RAPID Planning Framework to accelerate complex and time-intensive Dredged Material Management Plans (DMMPs), to modernizing how we contract for dredging and repairing structures in our harbors. These efficiencies also have the potential to expand environmental windows, expanding the timeframe in which we can dredge federal channels each season and allowing dredge contractors to be efficient in planning their work. Simultaneously, the initiative is advancing the district's Regulatory program by introducing new scientific tools and smarter systems, all designed to protect the nation’s aquatic environment while allowing reasonable development through fair, flexible, and balanced permit decisions for the public.
“’Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ empowers us to fundamentally enhance how we execute our core missions,” said Lt. Col. Robert Burnham, USACE Buffalo District Commander. “For our navigation program, this means streamlining our long-term dredged material management planning to ensure our waterways remain open and resilient. On the regulatory front, we are focused on delivering more consistent and transparent decisions without unnecessary delay. This initiative is about being smarter and more efficient across the board, ensuring we deliver the maximum value for the Great Lakes region and the nation.”
The importance of delivering our navigation mission cannot be overstated. Commercial harbors on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are the bedrock of the regional economy, moving far more than just ships. In 2023 alone, these U.S. harbors handled nearly 37.6 million tons of cargo, generating more than $2.1 billion in business revenue. Through its routine dredging and maintenance of these federal navigation channels, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' work directly sustains nearly 7,700 jobs—from vessel operators to local retailers—and the significant labor income they generate. These harbors are not just infrastructure; they are powerful engines of regional prosperity.
Video quote (SOT) available: USACE Buffalo District Commander speaks on “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” Initiative
B-roll available: Dredging:
Navigation:
Photos available: Dredging:
Navigation:
Regulatory:
The Buffalo District delivers world class engineering solutions to the Great Lakes Region, the Army and the Nation to ensure national security, environmental sustainability, water resource management, and emergency assistance during peace and war. Learn more at www.lrd.usace.army.mil/buffalo.
For 250 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been at the forefront of the nation’s engineering excellence, responding when called. From constructing fortifications during the Revolutionary War, to building the infrastructure that saw America’s strength grow militarily and economically, USACE’s mission has always been to deliver engineering solutions for our nation’s toughest challenges. Learn more about the USACE 250th anniversary at http://www.usace.army.mil/Home/250th.
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.23.2026 12:21 |
| Story ID: | 558598 |
| Location: | BUFFALO, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | CLEVELAND, OHIO, US |
| Hometown: | ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | SANDUSKY, OHIO, US |
| Hometown: | SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | TOLEDO, OHIO, US |
| Hometown: | WATERTOWN, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 138 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works announces ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ initiative for the Army’s Civil Works program, by Andrew Kornacki, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
