OUR IMPACT
Americans love recreating on the water, and when they do – it’s most likely on a lake or waterway managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the largest provider of water-based recreation in the country! The Corps Foundation is the only nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to supporting our nation’s lakes, rivers and the lands surrounding them. The Corps Foundation works to connect contributors, businesses, communities and “Friends” organizations to benefit visitors and help ensure healthy lakes and waterways for current and future generations.
Watch and learn more about the Corps Foundation’s work.
BREAKING NEWS
We Did It! Corps Foundation Wins Legislative Victories!
After four years of concerted effort The Corps Foundation calls a “win” in the recently enacted 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)! The legislative agenda developed with the help of non-profit and corporate partners, built a multi-faceted and dynamic outreach to Senators and Congressional representatives that sit on Sub-Committees responsible for budget and authorities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
Here are the highlights:
- Volunteers– allows USACE to use appropriated funds to honor the thousands of volunteers that devote their time, expertise and passion for their local lakes.
- Cooperative Joint Management Authority – Extends authority to non-profit partners to enter into Cooperative Joint Management agreements with local projects for providing recreation services.
- Fee Retention – Authorizes up to 80% of recreation fees paid by public users to be returned to the project where the fees were collected.
Many thanks for the support of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leadership, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the Public Lands Alliance, Southeast Tourism Society, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and our many other nonprofit and corporate partners for including our advocacy goals in their annual legislative outreach agendas.
Thank you to all our Corps Foundation members and supporters that reached out to their elected representatives to pass this legislation!
Your tax-exempt donations make a difference!
HOW WE ARE HELPING
Supporting Recreation
Did you know that USACE operates and manages over 430 recreation sites and 12 million acres of land and waters in 42 states? Over 270 million visitors annually enjoy the recreation activities at these sites, and their tourism dollars support local, mostly rural, gateway communities. Federal funding for boating and fishing facilities and management has declined in spite of increased public demand. LEARN MORE…
Donations and memberships to the Corps Foundation provide financial support to improve programs and facilities that directly benefit the public.
Stewarding Public Lands
We partner with agencies, organizations and local community efforts to sustain operations, improve recreational facilities, preserve natural and cultural resources and enhance the visitor experience. The Corps Foundation pursues a variety of fundraising, and grant opportunities to help keep USACE public lands open to the public, support the outdoor recreation economy and leverage public-private resources.
Education and Advocacy
Visitor safety is a #1 priority for USACE. The Corps Foundation supports USACE and the efforts of their employees and volunteers to educate the visiting public in ways that promote safe and sustainable use of lands and waters managed by USACE. The Corps Foundation has secured over $1 million in funds to help promote the award-winning Life Jackets Worn…Nobody Mourns campaign. Free campaign materials are available for at PleaseWearIt.com and by following Please Wear It on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Corps Foundation educates and supports the visiting public and volunteers to promote safe and sustainable use of Corps lands and waters. Visitor safety is the #1 goal when using lakes and waterways managed by USACE. The Corps Foundation secured $1 million in funding for the award-winning “Life Jackets Worn…Nobody Mourns” campaign for water safety. Read about our success at PleaseWearIt.com.
The Corps Foundation advocates for increased funding to address operational needs, unfunded maintenance and infrastructure restoration. We advocate for policy changes to increase opportunities for partnering, and leverage public-private resources. We work to build a case for stakeholder support by communicating the limitations of Federal Funding and the importance of partnerships to help meet public demand.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORK
Why Join
People join the Corps Foundation to help keep access available to their favorite lake or waterway. Your financial support benefits the parks, and the volunteers who dedicate their service to maintaining water recreation for everyone. JOIN US…
HOW YOU CAN HELP
The Corps Foundation uses 100% of your membership and donation funds to directly support education programs, stewardship projects and contribute toward partnership opportunities. Americans are enjoying their public lands more than ever before. In fact, outdoor recreation now comprises over 2% of the American economy. Despite this demand, public lands agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers, continue to face reduced Federal funding that could impact your access to lands and waters of the US.
Your financial support helps Corps projects and their friends groups connect, grow, and increase their capacity to fulfill the Corps’ natural resource education mission on lakes and waterways across America.
Advocate for America’s Waterways!
Advocacy Toolkit PDF
Advocacy Toolkit XLSX
See our latest advocacy efforts here.
Water Water Everywhere
Thanks to the Corps, there are countless parks at the many lakes and waterways. Click on the map to find your favorite.
THE LATEST FROM OUR FACEBOOK PAGE
Volunteer Excellence Coins: Jack and Linda Croach
Jack and Linda Croach have been a part of the Allatoona Lake Volunteer Program on and off since 2017. In seven full years of service, they have completed 6,616 hours with most of those hours being completed on the Allatoona Lake Water Safety Program. While they do have other duties such as working the front desk and completing recreation area inspections, it is water safety where they have their passion. There is not one aspect of the Water Safety Program that they have not been involved with over the years. They have presented hundreds of water safety programs to thousands of people. They take part in booths at events, put up water safety banners, check life jacket loaner areas, organize bulletin boards, and inventory water safety materials. They staff a water safety tent on busy Allatoona beaches and day use areas throughout the early summer and have worked well with the rangers. They are responsible for awarding adult visitors with “I Got Caught” prizes for wearing their life jackets. They have been a true asset for Allatoona making it possible to present more water safety to the public when a park ranger is not available. This is their last summer, they will be retiring from their second career in September and they will be greatly missed.
#AllatoonaLake #Allatoona #LakeAllatoonaAssociation #LakeAllatoona #volunteerexcellence #volunteeraward #volunteer #appreciation #service #enduringservice #enduring #corpslakes #corpswaterways #water #watersafety #corpsfoundation #conservation #education #recreation #safety #community #engagement #communityengagement #uslakes #usland #uswaterways #exceptional
Lake Allatoona Association
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Friends of Cordell Hull Lake receive Achievement Certificate and Coin
Spencer Taylor, Natural Resource Specialist
FRIENDS of Cordell Hull Lake (LRN) attended a meeting where the local project staff presented the 2023 Excellence in Partnership Certificate of Achievement and Coin to the FRIENDS Group.
Although the group was not selected as the recipient of the Excellence in Partnership Award, they were still ecstatic to receive the Achievement Certificate and Coin.
They have been a huge asset to the Cordell Hull Lake staff in the short time of their existence and the local Corps office looks forward to working with them for many years to come.
#friendsofcordellhulllake #cordellhulllake #LRN #fochl #volunteeraward #volunteer #appreciation #service #EnduringService #Enduring #applications #corpslakes #corpswaterways #lakes #waterways #corpsfoundation #conservation #education #recreation #safety #community #engagement #CommunityEngagement #uslakes #USLAND #uswaterways #exceptional
Friends Of Cordell Hull Lake
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Volunteer Recognition Coins
The Corps Foundation is the proud sponsor of the Volunteer Excellence coin presented for outstanding volunteer service at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) lakes and waterways. The Volunteer Excellence coin recognizes exceptional volunteers and draws attention to their invaluable role in helping USACE implement its natural resource and recreation programs.
Here are a couple of our coin designs.
#volunteeraward #volunteer #appreciation #service #EnduringService #Enduring #applications #corpslakes #corpswaterways #lakes #waterways #corpsfoundation #conservation #education #recreation #safety #community #engagement #CommunityEngagement #uslakes #USLAND #uswaterways #exceptional #opencall #CallforNominations #nomination #coin #volunteerexcellencecoin
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I'm curious to know. Was a survey conducted and was it determined that volunteers would appreciate a coin in recognition of their volunteer efforts?
Read this blog to learn where you can find videos that are helping save lives on our nation's waters!
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