Sacramento, Calif. -- Today, 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.”
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District
Sacramento District delivers Civil Works projects and programs that reduce flood risk and support water resources infrastructure across Northern California, Nevada, and Utah.
“Sacramento District is putting ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ into action by accelerating project delivery, improving permitting efficiency, and focusing resources on the nation’s most critical water infrastructure,” said Colonel Robert McTighe, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District. “This initiative strengthens our ability to deliver quality water resources projects on schedule and within budget while reducing flood risk and supporting economic resilience across the region.”
Reflecting the lines of effort to improve efficiency and prioritize resources, Sacramento District’s Yolo Bypass Comprehensive Study is applying a streamlined study approach that identifies feasible project solutions earlier and advances work in manageable phases, improving the likelihood of delivering flood risk reduction on schedule and within budget.
Aligned with the initiative’s focus on cutting permitting red tape and improving regulatory efficiency, the district’s Regulatory Program is reducing permitting timelines. In 2025, Sacramento District executed a first-of-its-kind Programmatic Agreement with the Utah State Historic Preservation Office that eliminates consultation requirements for most minor activities requiring Department of the Army authorization. The agreement applies to more than 90% of permit requests in Utah, enabling faster decisions while maintaining environmental protection.
Advancing the line of effort to maximize the ability to deliver national infrastructure and focus on efficiency, Sacramento District continues to implement major flood risk reduction programs such as:
- American River Common Features 2016, where an enterprise delivery model and full federal funding accelerated levee improvements across the Sacramento region;
- West Sacramento, where in close partnership with the non-federal sponsor, the Southport Early Implementation Project constructed a setback levee that delivered accelerated flood protection while establishing mitigation areas to proactively support future project phases;
- Natomas Basin, where Sacramento District strategically deployed enterprise USACE resources and industry architect-engineer partners to sustain design and engineering momentum through construction transition periods, preventing schedule delays and maintaining continuous delivery; and
- Lower San Joaquin River, where through close coordination with the non-federal sponsor, mitigation sites are being developed in advance of construction to ensure Endangered Species Act compliance and avoid delays associated with limited mitigation bank credits.
SA(CW) Memorandums