ADVOCACY
The Corps Foundation helps the USACE Natural Resources management Community by advocating for them. Here is the latest:
Please Contact Legislators Immediately
Alert!
Federal Lands Recreation Under Threat!
Are you an avid outdoor enthusiast? The Corps Foundation wants you to be informed about changes that may affect your access to Federal lands. The new administration’s emphasis on cost cutting is no doubt welcomed by many however, recent Executive Orders, as well as Office of Personnel Management and Office of Management and Budget propose reorganization and cost-cutting that will result in widespread impacts to all Federal land management agencies. Policies like federal workforce buyouts, firing of probationary employees and the end of remote work will most certainly impact the recreation programs and services the public enjoys.
The Corps Foundation is writing to ask you to take immediate action to reverse the recent staffing cuts to land management agencies like the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. These agencies play a crucial role in maintaining our public lands and ensuring that they remain accessible, safe, and well-preserved for the millions of Americans who depend on them for recreation, jobs, and community well-being.
What Are the Impacts?
These cuts disproportionately impact staff responsible for visitor services, trail maintenance, campground management, access to boat launching, emergency response, and land restoration efforts like reforestation and invasive species removal. As visitation to public lands continues to rise, these cuts will have immediate and lasting consequences for the outdoor recreation economy and public safety, including affecting visitor experiences in the outdoors.
The outdoor recreation economy in the US is $3.1 trillion. Local regional and gateway communities largely depend on outdoor recreation to their local Federal lands as their driving economic factor. Impacts to parks and other Federal lands also affect the nearby communities.
Why is the Corps Foundation Concerned?
The Corps Foundation is the only nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to these lakes, rivers and the lands managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Over 260 million visitors boat, camp, hike and fish on over 400 recreation projects around the US. The Corps Foundation works to connect partners and “Friends” organizations to ensure access to the lakes and waterways. Current efforts to make indiscriminate cuts without evaluating impacts to those programs and services that the public values will likely result in the closing of parks and launching ramps, less public safety, and a deterioration of natural resources. The Corps Foundation will be monitoring the impacts closely and urging all those affected to make their voices heard.
What can you do to help?
Please contact your Congressional representatives to urge them to reverse course and make it an urgent priority to restore funding and support for Federal land management agencies. Public lands are a national treasure, and the dedicated staff who manage them must be adequately supported to ensure that these lands remain healthy and accessible for all.
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!