Institute for Water Resources

Apr-Jun 2016 Collaboration Corner

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District and the Seminole Tribe of Florida (STOF) have collaborated to develop a Programmatic General Permit (PGP) titled SAJ-83 to authorize fill activities on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation...

The mission of USACE Public Involvement (PI) Specialists is to improve USACE’s capacity to engage the public and agency partners at the county, state and federal levels by serving as internal consultants within the Corps Districts/ Division for Civil Works, Military Programs, Regulatory and Readiness missions to enhance two-way communication and collaborative problem solving with stakeholders.

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. The USACE’s Collaboration and Public Participation Center of Expertise (CPCX) just released its latest newsletter - a special edition focusing on the collaborative work conducted throughout the USACE with Tribal Nations. In honor of the establishment of the Tribal Nations Technical Center of Expertise, this issue of Collaboration Corner highlights USACE’s important interaction with Tribal Nations as well as with other stakeholders including socially vulnerable populations and federal partners. Feedback, questions and articles are always welcome. Inside the newsletter: • Jeff Collins (Jacksonville District) discusses how a Programmatic General Permit aids in Tribal Self-Determination in his work with the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in Florida. • Kathryn Firsching (Nashville District) talks about how the 404 Program in the southeast went from a controversial start to a collaborative outcome. • Rodney Parker (Huntington District) highlights a collaboration with Tribal Nations to successfully re-inter ancestral remains. • Susan Durden and Seth Cohen (Institute for Water Resources) explain a new resource for USACE on how to identify and engage socially vulnerable populations in our work. • Seth Cohen (Collaboration and Public Participation Center of Expertise) reflects on his experiences facilitating tribal consultation meetings. • Amanda Andraschko (Alaska District) responds to the question of why we coordinate with tribes on a government-to-government basis and how to get started. Announcements: • New Tribal Nations Technical Center of Expertise established at Albuquerque District to track interactions enterprise-wide. • Collaboration and Conflict Transformation in Multi-Party Processes course offered with FWS, NPS, and BLM where USACE participants may request a tuition waiver. • Upcoming trainings and free webinars both inside and outside the Corps. For more see the CPP CoP Calendar.

Alexandria, Va. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) increased its use of third-party Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (ECCR) in 2015, reporting 29 specific uses as well as a significant number of non-third-party collaborative efforts across all USACE divisions and mission areas.