Almost exactly one year ago, in July 2019, ASBPA testified before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on the need to develop water resources legislation that would advance:
This week, the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passed a bill that did exactly that.
See ASBPA’s statement on the 2020 House Water Resources Development Act (WRDA): ASBPA Statement on 2020 House WRDA (PDF 237kb)
The 2020 House WRDA has numerous sections that ASBPA supports. Some of the most important provisions include:
The Beneficial Use of Dredged Material
ASBPA believes that the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) needs to evolve its budgeting and planning operations to reflect regional sediment management principles so that 100% of uncontaminated dredged sediment is used beneficially.
Improving the Corps’ Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR)
The 2020 House WRDA helps modernize the criteria used by USACE to assess costs and benefits during project planning.
Improving Resilience of Coastlines and Coastal Communities
From sea and Great Lakes level rise to increasing coastal storm intensity, the threats facing our nation’s coastlines have never been greater. USACE must help our coastline and coastal communities become more resilient.
Advancing natural and nature-based features (NNBF) that reduce risk in coastal communities
Wide beaches, high dunes, and verdant wetlands, reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds are natural infrastructure that can improve communities’ resilience and is itself resilient. USACE should be looking at how to more effectively restore and rebuild our nation’s natural infrastructure, in collaboration with other federal, state and tribal agencies.
Please consider joining the ASBPA.