TULSA, Okla. – Today, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam R. Telle announced a major initiative, “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork,” for the Army’s Civil Works program.
“Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” will provide greater focus on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) core Civil Works missions, while minimizing non-core programs, direct funding to priority water resources projects that will provide the greatest benefits to the nation, shorten permitting timelines, and reduce or eliminate extraneous regulations and paperwork that slow USACE’s delivery of Civil Works projects and programs.
“President Trump has empowered his administration to work with lightspeed efficiency to make our government deliver more for all Americans. The Army Civil Works’ ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ initiative will enable the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deliver critical projects and programs for the nation more efficiently, sooner, and at less cost than the current ways of doing business,” said Telle. “This will eliminate bureaucratic delays and provide fast, clear decisions needed to save lives and empower our economy.”
“Continuous Army transformation is about rapidly delivering war winning capabilities to the Army today, not years in the future. But that’s not all; we’re also transforming at home, too,” said Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll. “I’m incredibly proud of the ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ (BINP) transformation initiative the Army Civil Works and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams recently unveiled. BINP will build and strengthen American infrastructure across our nation, increasing resiliency and providing tangible, long-lasting value for the American people.”
“Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” will enable USACE district commanders around the nation to execute the Civil Works projects and programs that benefit the nation. USACE commanders will be empowered to take informed risks in advancing critical water resources projects and programs to completion faster and at less cost. The policy changes will also bring greater transparency and accountability for the program to the American public, project partners and sponsors, industry, and the elected leaders who make the annual funding decisions for the Civil Works program.
The plan consists of 27 initiatives grouped under five categories: • Maximizing the Ability to Deliver National Infrastructure • Cutting Red Tape • Focus on Efficiency • Transparency & Accountability • Prioritization
The initiatives do not affect USACE execution of its emergency response support to natural and manmade disasters.
"The U.S. Army’s Civil Works program has been an invaluable cornerstone for more than 200 years. ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ will return USACE to a focus on its core missions and ensure the enterprise continues to be the most trusted national resource delivering water resources solutions,” added Telle. “This is only possible with President Trump’s leadership that has enabled our team to maximize our ability to deliver national infrastructure and cut red tape for the American people.”
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District
One of the plan’s initiatives includes overhauling our regulatory process to be clear, consistent, and efficient. We will slash bureaucratic delays to provide faster decisions to accelerate the delivery of our vital infrastructure projects. We will develop geospatial tools to reduce subjectivity in identifying and eliminating areas from Clean Water Act jurisdiction. There will also be continued investment into the Regulatory Request System to make applying for and getting a permit easier and faster.
The benefits of cutting red tape in the Regulatory Program will be objective and more transparent jurisdictional determinations and permit decisions. Our Regulatory Program will be tightly aligned with Administration priorities in streamline permitting and leveraging technology.
“The Tulsa District is poised and ready to fully support these initiatives,” said Tulsa District Commander Col. Jessica Goffena. “We are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions to support our nation and communities.”
The Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” initiative will enable the Tulsa District to find more efficient ways to deliver our critically important regulatory mission and the many other missions the district is responsible for in the region.
“For too long, Oklahomans have seen vital projects stalled by crippling bureaucracy. By prioritizing 'Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork,' the Trump Administration is making a long-overdue commitment to accelerate project delivery and cut the red tape that has stalled progress for years. Importantly, this plan instills the fiscal discipline and transparency necessary to attack waste while strategically prioritizing taxpayer dollars on core missions that serve our national interest. It’s great to have a president who is willing to stop shuffling papers, slash excessive bureaucracy, and start moving dirt to deliver the reliable infrastructure Oklahomans deserve,” said U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
The mission of the Tulsa District Regulatory Program is to protect the nation's aquatic resources, including adjacent wetlands, streams, and navigable waters, while permitting reasonable development through fair, flexible, and balanced decisions on permit applications for construction, dredging, and other activities in these environments.
This involves evaluating proposals to minimize environmental impacts, ensuring compliance with laws like the Clean Water Act and Rivers and Harbors Act, and balancing public ecosystem benefits with private property rights. The program also emphasizes mitigation for any adverse effects, such as requiring compensatory measures to achieve no net loss of wetlands and supports broader goals like reducing disaster risk and energizing the economy through collaborative engineering solutions.
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