BALTIMORE -- USACE Baltimore District highlights potential for improved support for Port of Baltimore operations
On Feb. 23, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam R. Telle announced a major initiative, “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork,” for the Army’s Civil Works program.
“Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” will provide greater focus on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) core Civil Works missions, while minimizing non-core programs, direct funding to priority water resources projects that will provide the greatest benefits to the nation, shorten permitting timelines, and reduce or eliminate extraneous regulations and paperwork that slow USACE’s delivery of Civil Works projects and programs.
“President Trump has empowered his administration to work with lightspeed efficiency to make our government deliver more for all Americans. The Army Civil Works’ ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ initiative will enable the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deliver critical projects and programs for the nation more efficiently, sooner, and at less cost than the current ways of doing business,” said Telle. “This will eliminate bureaucratic delays and provide fast, clear decisions needed to save lives and empower our economy.”
“Continuous Army transformation is about rapidly delivering war winning capabilities to the Army today, not years in the future. But that’s not all; we’re also transforming at home, too,” said Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll. “I’m incredibly proud of the ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ (BINP) transformation initiative the Army Civil Works and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams recently unveiled. BINP will build and strengthen American infrastructure across our nation, increasing resiliency and providing tangible, long-lasting value for the American people.”
“Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” will enable USACE district commanders around the nation to execute the Civil Works projects and programs that benefit the nation. USACE commanders will be empowered to take informed risks in advancing critical water resources projects and programs to completion faster and at less cost. The policy changes will also bring greater transparency and accountability for the program to the American public, project partners and sponsors, industry, and the elected leaders who make the annual funding decisions for the Civil Works program.
The plan consists of 27 initiatives grouped under five categories:
• Maximizing the Ability to Deliver National Infrastructure
• Cutting Red Tape
• Focus on Efficiency
• Transparency & Accountability
• Prioritization
The initiatives do not affect USACE execution of its emergency response support to natural and manmade disasters.
"The U.S. Army’s Civil Works program has been an invaluable cornerstone for more than 200 years. ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ will return USACE to a focus on its core missions and ensure the enterprise continues to be the most trusted national resource delivering water resources solutions,” added Telle. “This is only possible with President Trump’s leadership that has enabled our team to maximize our ability to deliver national infrastructure and cut red tape for the American people.”
ASA(CW) Memorandums
Impact across the USACE Baltimore District
The “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” Civil Works initiative will enable the Baltimore District to increase dredging capacity via maintenance dredging for the Port of Baltimore, including the removal of approximately 1,600,000 cubic yards of material that will be dredged from the Cape Henry channel, as well as approximately 1,460,000 cubic yards of material from the Baltimore Harbor’s approach channels, before spring 2026.
To do so, USACE will work with Endangered Species Act resource agencies to significantly expand the seasonal windows that are allowed to dredge within ports. USACE will also be looking at innovative solutions to improve the science on environmental window mitigation measures, including additional funding for Research & Development. Executing the plan will result in better, more efficient use of the U.S. dredging fleet, expanding availability, reducing cost to the American taxpayer, and removing artificial constraints on the economy
“We are committed to maximizing our ability to deliver vital support for the world-class Port of Baltimore, alongside our partners at the Port Administration,” said Baltimore District Commander Col. Francis Pera. “Maintenance dredging is necessary in ensuring the Port can accommodate consistent vessel flow of large ships and safe navigation, fueling this major economic engine for the state of Maryland, the mid-Atlantic region and the nation.”
Shipping channels are dredged annually to their respective authorized dimensions set forth in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1970, plus an allowable over depth of 1-2 feet. The authorized dimensions outline a uniform main channel of 50 feet deep, and 800 (in Maryland) or 1,000 (in Virginia) feet wide through the Chesapeake Bay from the Virginia Capes to Fort McHenry in the Port of Baltimore.
The “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” initiative also includes overhauling USACE’s entire regulatory and permitting process to eliminate bureaucratic delays and provide fast, clear, and consistent decisions needed to get projects built. USACE provides regulatory oversight, with a mission to protect aquatic resources and navigation capacity, while allowing reasonable development through fair and balanced decisions.
Last December, Baltimore District issued its Section 404/10/408/103 permit decision for the $1 billion Sparrows Point Container Terminal (SPCT) project, a joint venture between Tradepoint Atlantic and Terminal Investments Limited, to construct a new container terminal and associated facilities at the Port of Baltimore. The SPCT site finished all permitting actions for all federal agencies early and was the first to finish all NEPA milestones earlier than scheduled through FAST-41, a legislatively established process for improving federal agency coordination and timeliness of environmental reviews for infrastructure projects.
“Permit issuance for the Sparrows Point Container Terminal Project highlights how FAST-41 and integration of the USACE Regulatory process can streamline environmental reviews, resulting in improved efficiency and clarity within the federal permitting process, in alignment with Administration priorities,” said Pera.
The Port of Baltimore generates approximately 20,300 direct jobs, with more than 273,000 jobs overall in Maryland linked to the Port, and an annual economic impact of more than $70 billion. In 2024, the Port ranked first nationally for roll on/roll off farm and construction machinery, imported forest products, and imported gypsum. The Port ranked second for autos and light trucks, salt, exported coal, and imported sugar. Overall, Baltimore ranked 10th among all U.S. ports for the dollar value of its cargo and 11th in total cargo tonnage.
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Additional Information
Baltimore District delivers vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. Headquartered near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Baltimore District provides design, engineering, construction, environmental, and real estate expertise to various important projects and customers. This support spans five states, the District of Columbia, overseas, and the Susquehanna, Potomac, and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. These civil and military missions and diverse engineering services support communities and warfighters while addressing the ever-growing list of emerging national security requirements and ultimately protecting the Nation.