Galveston District Hosts Stakeholder Partnering Forum

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, will meet with non-federal sponsors, customers and agency partners to collaborate on best practices regarding programs ranging from environmental to flood risk management, dredging the Texas coast and regulatory oversight of U.S. waters during a Stakeholder Partnering Forum on February 25 at the district’s headquarters building in Galveston.

“Fostering effective working relationships with these agencies is critical to the success of our district’s missions,” said Col. Richard Pannell, commanding officer of the USACE Galveston District. “We construct, maintain and operate key infrastructure projects that contribute to the nation’s economy, environment, safety and quality of life and are always seeking opportunities with our partners to improve these services. Hosting a partnering forum affords stakeholders a venue to understand and interact on the latest information about our programs, projects, business processes and capabilities.”

The one-day forum will identify opportunities to better synchronize and integrate the district’s support of stakeholder commitments and emergency interests such as the Coastal Texas Feasibility Study and the Freeport Harbor Preconstruction, Engineering and Design plan.

According to Joe Hrametz, chief of the Operations Division for the USACE Galveston District, this forum will enable him to update stakeholders on the fiscal year 2015 budget and how this funding will impact future dredging projects along the Texas coast.

“The FY15 President’s Budget for the O&M Program was increased $19.7 million in the work plan,” said Hrametz. “The partnering forum will provide an excellent venue to interface with our customers face to face to address their issues and concerns and to provide an explanation on how the extra money will be used to reduce critical backlog.

Facilitated stakeholder breakout discussions relating to partnered progress and needs will include Texas coastal resource management; Texas ports; the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Texas floodplain management support for non-federal investment.

Partnering panel discussions will engage the participant community and culminate in a synthesis of successes, challenges, lessons learned and strategies for working with the district.

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