WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- 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.
At the Walla Walla District, critical hydropower and navigation infrastructure modernization efforts have advanced in alignment with the initiative, emphasizing accelerated project delivery, improved efficiency, enhanced transparency, and prioritizing investments that strengthen national infrastructure reliability.
“At the Walla Walla District, we are focused on delivering infrastructure that supports energy reliability, commercial navigation, and public safety across the Pacific Northwest,” said Lt. Col. Katie Werback, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District. “Through smarter contracting strategies, disciplined project prioritization, and integrated long-term planning, we are maximizing our ability to deliver critical national infrastructure efficiently and responsibly.”
A key component of the district’s modernization efforts is Dworshak Dam’s Unit 4 Installation Project, which strengthens hydropower generation reliability in Idaho and the broader region. The project aligns phased acquisition strategies, technical design, and outage coordination to ensure continued power generation while modernizing aging infrastructure. By sequencing design, contracting, and execution carefully, the district is delivering hydropower upgrades while maintaining uninterrupted service to customers and stakeholders.
Other enterprise-level contracting strategies aim to reduce delays and improve procurement readiness. The Northwest Division Crane Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) consolidates crane and heavy-lift modernization requirements into a single contract vehicle, reducing repetitive procurement cycles and standardizing modernization efforts across the Columbia River system.
Similarly, the Regional Transformer Multiple Award Delivery Order Contract (MADOC) strengthens supply chain resiliency for large main-unit transformers. With global manufacturing capacity for high-voltage transformers constrained, the contract positions the district to rapidly procure critical components that support hydropower reliability.
“These contracting vehicles allow us to move from one-off procurements to long-term acquisition strategies that improve readiness and reduce risk,” said Werback.
The Walla Walla District is also integrating multiple infrastructure upgrades into a coordinated 2030 Navigation Lock Outage across the Columbia and Snake River system, which form the West Coast’s furthest inland navigable waterway.
By sequencing modernization projects such as crane upgrades, control system improvements, and mechanical replacements, into a single, strategically planned outage window, the district aims to minimize disruptions to commercial navigation while maximizing the return on taxpayer investment.
This long-range planning approach reflects the initiative’s emphasis on delivering infrastructure more efficiently and with greater foresight.
To ensure resources are aligned with mission-critical infrastructure, the district has implemented a disciplined workload tiering process that ranks projects based on safety, operational impact, and national economic importance.
This structured prioritization model enhances transparency, improves communication with higher headquarters, and ensures limited resources are directed toward projects with the highest impact on energy reliability, navigation, and public safety.
“We are committed to focusing our resources where they matter most,” said Werback. “That means prioritizing projects that directly support national infrastructure reliability and delivering them safely, on time, with accountability and transparency.”
The Walla Walla District manages federal water resource infrastructure throughout southeastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and Idaho, supporting hydropower generation, commercial navigation, flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, and emergency operations.
For more information about the Walla Walla District’s modernization efforts, visit https://www.nww.usace.army.mil/
ASA(CW) Memorandums***
***Updated March 2, 2026