CONTACT: Seattle District Public Affairs (206) 764-3750, paoteam@nws02.usace.army.mil

Seattle--The Fiscal Year 2007 (FY07) budget transmitted to Congress Monday includes $4.733 billion in new federal funding for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In the President's budget, high priority Civil Works projects for the Seattle District include the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration study and dam safety construction at Mud Mountain Dam.

Mr. John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), said, "The Army Civil Works budget for Fiscal Year 2007 is the highest budget ever proposed for the Civil Works program. It provides critical funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue to contribute to the nation's economic and environmental well being."

The Army Civil Works program contributes to the development and restoration of the nation's water and related resources; operation and maintenance of existing federally-owned water resources projects; protection of the nation's waters and wetlands; and restoration of contaminated sites.

The new federal funding in the Civil Works budget consists of $3.791 billion from the general fund, $707 million from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, $197 million from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, $37 million from Special Recreation Use Fees, and $1 million from Disposal Facilities User Fees.

The new federal funding will be distributed as follows among the appropriation accounts:

• $2.258 billion for Operation and Maintenance
• $1.555 billion for Construction
• $278 million for Flood Control, Mississippi River and Tributaries
• $173 million for the Regulatory Program
• $164 million for General Expenses
• $130 million for the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program
• $94 million for General Investigations
• $81 million for Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies

Other sources of funding are estimated at $538 million, which includes $75 million from the Coastal Wetlands Restoration Trust Fund, $18 million in Permanent Appropriations, and $445 million paid by non-federal interests as Rivers and Harbors Contributed Funds.

The FY07 budget emphasizes three critical Corps activities. First, it funds the construction and completion of water resources projects that will provide a high return on the nation's investment in the Corps' primary mission areas of commercial navigation, flood and storm damage reduction, and aquatic ecosystem restoration. Second, it increases funding for the regulatory program to help protect and preserve the nation's waters and wetlands. Third, it funds the Corps' critical emergency preparedness and response mission in the regular budget process.

The FY07 budget is a performance-based budget. As did the FY06 budget, the FY07 budget uses seven objective, performance-based guidelines to select the highest performing construction projects. This year the guidelines have been modified to reflect two major changes. First, for flood and storm damage reduction projects, risks to human life are considered along with economics. Second, among aquatic ecosystem restoration projects, priority is given to those that are cost effective, that help to restore regionally or nationally significant ecosystems, and that either remedy impacts from existing Civil Works projects or require the Corps' unique expertise in modifying the aquatic regimes of watersheds.

The budget provides substantial funding to meet performance targets in the Regulatory Program ($173 million, a $15 million increase); Emergency Management Program ($81 million for Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies, an $11 million increase), and Recreation Program ($267 million).

Specific high-priority Construction General (CG) and General Investigation (GI) projects budgeted for the Seattle District are:

• Construction of the dam safety project at Mud Mountain Dam on the White River: $5.47 million (CG)
• The Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study: $400,000 (GI)

The budget organizes information for Operation and Maintenance (O&M) activities by river basin and by mission area. Specific operating projects are no longer listed as separate line items. One specific national priority effort that is included in the O&M account is $103 million for the Columbia River Basin to meet requirements of the Endangered Species Act. A portion of this amount will fund continuing construction at Chief Joseph Dam.

Around the Nation there are many cost-effective civil projects that are not included in the President's budget based upon national priorities and available funding. Previously funded studies and designs not funded in FY07 would be suspended until the national construction backlog is reduced and funds become available.

Specific ongoing projects not budgeted for the Seattle District are:

• Skagit River Flood Damage Reduction Study (GI)
• Lake Washington Basin Restoration (Water Conservation) Feasibility Study (GI)
• Elliott Bay Seawall Storm Damage Reduction Study (GI)
• Centralia Flood Control Project (GI)
• Chehalis River Basin Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study (GI)
• Skokomish River Flood Control and Ecosystem Restoration
• Shoalwater Bay Shoreline Erosion Protection Design (CG)
• Duwamish-Green River Basin (CG)
• Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters Restoration (CG)

Col. Debra M. Lewis, Commander of the Seattle District Corps of Engineers, said, "Our Corps employees take great pride in providing the greatest support possible to the Nation. We enjoy working closely with our talented local, regional and national partners. Together we will continue to find the best ways to accomplish our missions that significantly contribute to our Nations security, economic prosperity, and environmental quality."

The mission of the United States Army Corps of Engineers is to provide quality, responsive engineering services to the Nation and its armed forces. The Corps plans, designs, builds, and operates water resources projects; designs and manages military facilities construction for the Army and Air Force at home and abroad; provides design and construction management support for other Defense and Federal agencies; cleans hazardous areas across the Nation through the Formerly Used Defense Sites program and the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program; and conducts state-of-the-art engineering research and design at its Engineer Research and Development Center.