The Outlook for Federal Water Resources Funding

1
The Outlook for Federal Water Resources Funding
Priorities

• Mia OConnell
• Executive Managing Director
• Carmen Group, Inc.

2
Outlook for Federal Water Resources Funding

• Emerging Support for Water and Environmental
  Restoration
• Strong Leadership Team in Place
• ASA Darcy
• Principal Deputy ASA Salt
• Obama Administration Priorities
• Stimulate economy
• Pursue environmental sustainability
• Support multi-purpose projects

3
Where We Have Been Administrations

• FY 2010 increased funding for water programs
  essentially in EPAs programs

4
Where We Have Been Congress

• Limited New Starts
• Corps Program Essentially Frozen

Senate and House approved funding level.
5
Increasing Support

• The Administration is seeking more funding for
  Water Infrastructure projects in EPA Programs

6
Where are We Going?

• Corps FY 2010 Budget Request Included
• Multi-use / Environmental sustainability
• Integrate environmental principles into
  traditional infrastructure
• Endorse multiple purpose projects
• 5 New Construction Starts

7
Administration Reform Themes

• Transforming the Corps
• Empowering CEQ
• Re-energizing EPA

8
Administrations Policy Shift for Corps

• New Look For Flood Protection
• Focus on natural river systems restoring
  ecosystems
• Flood protection as part of multi-purpose project
• Emphasis on non-structural solutions
• Revised Principles/Guidelines expected soon
• Codify the shift to more balanced multi-objective
  planning for more evolved flood protection
  ecosystem restoration projects

9
CEQ Empowered

• Taking larger role in Policy Debate
• Pressing the Corps on PG Revisions
• Engaging with OMB on Budget Plans to Push Policy

10
New Initiatives

• Livable communities
• Sustainable systems
• What impact on water projects?

11
Outlook for WRDA

• Water Resources Development Act
• Expected to move early next year
• Opportunity for project authorizations and
  revisions to ongoing projects
• Further Corps reform?

12
Outlook for Funding

• FY 2011 and beyond
• Inclusion of possible new environmental
  priorities in budget will help drive
  Appropriations debate
• Will Congress increase funding for Water
  Infrastructure projects or shift funding from
  traditional to environmental projects?
• Will there be an effort to dedicate a funding
  source to large ecosystem projects?

13
Emerging Themes

• Evidence of multi-purpose projects gaining
  support from the Administration and the Congress
  is growing (stimulus funds)
• A push by Administration to have Corps look at
  other benefits beyond traditional B/C for
  priority setting
• A move to embrace natural river systems and
  solutions
• Righting the wrongs of prior destructive efforts

14
San Antonio Channel Improvement Project
15
McCook and Thornton Reservoir Project
16
Murrieta Creek Flood Protection Environmental
Restoration Project
17
Napa River/Napa Creek Flood Protection Project
18
Upper Guadalupe River Flood Protection Project
19
Building a Sustainable Program

• Communicating the message is key to success of
  water infrastructure projects
• Recent article in USA Today highlighted the Corps
  new focus on environmental restoration, but there
  is still work to be done

PROJECTS RETURN AMERICA'S RIVERS TO NATURAL
STATE USA TODAY October 5, 2009 By Jeff DeLong
20
Building a Sustainable Program

• Full consideration of benefits important for
  environmental restoration, but cannot be easily
  calculated
• Re-establishing river systems for flood
  protection can and should (if planned properly)
  revitalize the local economy and restore the
  resource
• Administration needs to hear about successes that
  bring enduring protection and restoration