LOS ANGELES – The President’s Budget for fiscal year 2012 includes $4.6 billion in federal funding for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including nearly $55 million for the Los Angeles District.
The FY12 budget emphasizes critical Corps activities. First, it funds the construction of water resources projects that will provide high economic and environmental returns on the nation’s investment. Second, it emphasizes the Operation and Maintenance program to help address critical infrastructure maintenance needs. Third, it increases funds for the Corps’ Regulatory program to better perform its mission to protect and preserve the nation’s water-related resources.
L.A. District Commander and District Engineer Col. Mark Toy said the budget provides maximum benefit in the District’s area of responsibility.
“Our missions, like flood risk management, environmental restoration and navigation, allow us to focus our efforts on developing solutions to our region’s water resources challenges, all with people foremost in mind,” Toy said. “Although the Los Angeles District Budget is frugal and reflects the priorities of a nation at war and in the midst of a difficult economic climate, it recognizes the importance of Southern California navigation, flood risk reduction infrastructure and environmental restoration.”
The funding includes $20.5 million for continuing flood and storm damage reduction work along the Santa Ana River Mainstem in Southern California and nearly $2.1 million to complete construction along the Santa Paula Creek in Ventura County, California.
Navigation-related projects are funded at $15.4 million for maintenance dredging at seven California harbors: Marina del Rey, Morro Bay, Oceanside, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Ventura and Channel Islands.
The funding also includes more than $15 million for Operation and Maintenance activities associated with dams and other projects under the District’s purview. Included in this funding are the Santa Ana River, the Los Angeles County Drainage Area and the Mojave River reservoir in Southern California and Alamo Lake Dam, Painted Rock Dam and Whitlow Ranch Dam in Arizona and the Pine & Mathews Canyons Dams in Nevada.
Studies are funded at $1.3 million and include the Malibu Creek Watershed, the California Coastal Sediment Master Plan, and a study at Solana Beach.
Additional funding will be distributed nationwide in three other program areas:
• $196 million for the Regulatory Program
• $109 million for the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program
• $27 million for Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies
According to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, “This year’s civil works budget for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers supports the administration’s priorities of improving the nation’s infrastructure and revitalizing the economy, while also being reflective of the nation’s current fiscal status.”
“This is a performance-based budget that funds the construction of projects that reduce risk to public safety, provide significant environmental restoration benefits, or provide significant economic returns on the nation’s investment,” said Darcy.
“Our true ‘Value to the Nation’ and, specifically, our region is represented by the people on our team,” Toy said. “We take care of the people in our organization, and we take care of the people who benefit from our hard work.”
The Fiscal Year 2012 Civil Works budget press book, including a state-by-state breakdown, is available at
http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Budget.aspx.