11.01.19

Hoeven Holds Red River Valley Flood Protection Update with Assistant Secretary of the Army

Senator Hosts R.D. James in Fargo, Working to Secure Funding for Next Phases of Construction in Future Army Corps Work Plans

FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven, along with Governor Doug Burgum and local leaders from the Red River Valley, today updated Assistant Secretary of the Army (ASA) for Civil Works R.D. James, who oversees the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on the progress of building the region’s comprehensive flood protection as well as the next stages of construction. The senator invited ASA James to the state to give him firsthand knowledge of the project and help:

  • Fulfill the federal government’s increased funding commitment, which Hoeven helped secure under the new Project Partnership Agreement (PPA).
  • Ensure the project receives the support it needs in the coming fiscal years through the Army Corps’ work plans to keep construction on track.

“ASA James’ visit is an important opportunity to ensure key Army Corps leaders understand the impact of flooding in the Red River Valley and the progress we’ve made in building comprehensive flood protection for the region,” said Hoeven. “Today’s meeting is part of our work to reduce local costs and secure sufficient funding in the next two fiscal years so construction can continue without delay. We’ve included increased support for the Army Corps’ construction account and a new account to support P3s in the Senate’s appropriations bill for FY2020, which, combined with our continued efforts with James and the administration, will help us achieve these goals.”

The meeting builds on Hoeven’s previous efforts to advance comprehensive flood protection in the Red River Valley. These include project authorization, new construction start, the new PPA and other milestones. Moving forward, the senator continues working as a member of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee to secure funding that will help reduce local costs. To this end, Hoeven included the following priorities in the Senate’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 funding legislation:

  • Construction Funding: Provides $233 million in funding above the President’s request for construction of flood control projects. These funds are not allocated to a specific project and will be available to support Corps priorities in the FY2020 work plan, which will be released approximately 30 days after the FY20 Energy and Water appropriations bill is signed into law. This increase will empower the Corps to support more of its priorities, like comprehensive flood protection for the Fargo-Moorhead region.
  • Funding for P3 Projects: Provides $100 million for construction in a new account for “Alternative Delivery” projects, including public-private-partnership (P3) projects and split delivery projects. Fargo-Moorhead would be eligible for funding from this account in addition to the construction funding the bill provides above the budget request for flood control projects. 
    • This is a result of Hoeven’s work to provide direct funding for P3s. P3s represent a new type of financing model for the Army Corps of Engineers and have not been included in previous budget requests

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