By May 8, 2024, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) must submit a Work Plan for the funding allocated by Congress for Fiscal Year 2024.
The long-term effects of those choices will be felt by communities nationwide, particularly in Florida.
U.S. Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent Assistant Secretary Michael Connor of the United States Army for Civil Works a letter outlining important Florida projects that should get ongoing support.
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“Floridians depend on the expertise and diligence of the USACE—often in partnership with non-federal interests—to study, design, construct, maintain, and operate important water resources infrastructure across the Sunshine State," said the senators.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 contained supplemental funding for construction, investigations, Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (FCCE), and operations and maintenance.
"Some of these funds have not yet been utilized due to the USACE interpretation of Section 103 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, an interpretation with which we disagree," said the senators.
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"This policy interpretation continues to impede storm risk management projects, including some that have been performed for decades. The WRDA of 2022 directed you to conduct a review of easement policy and submit a report to Congress," they said.
"With respect to this review, we urge you to reconsider shoreline easement policy interpretation of WRDA 1986 and direct the USACE to issue new policy guidance that will allow these FCCE funds to be implemented to restore hurricane risk reduction project footprints," said the senators.
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