Willamette Valley Project Gains Efficiencies Through Programmatic Agreement Oregon
CASE STUDY
Consulting parties at the programmatic agreement
Map of the Willamette Basin showing the locations of the 13 reservoirs (WVP13 Project Map, Portland District, April 2019)
signing ceremony in May 2022 (Christopher Gaylord/USACE)
“Through this agreement, our actions and decisions will align more deliberately and consistently with the expectations of the nation, Tribes, states, and partners,” Erik Petersen, the USACE’s Willamette Valley operations project manager said. “The result will be better, more efficient protection and stewardship of important cultural and historic values and resources.”
In June 2022, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Portland District (USACE), the ACHP, and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) executed a programmatic agreement for undertakings related to the operations and maintenance of the Willamette Valley Project. The Willamette Valley Project is comprised of 13 multipurpose dams and reservoirs in four counties in western Oregon. The agreement standardizes and streamlines the USACE’s approach to accounting for potential impacts to historic properties thereby allowing the agency to focus its staff and resources on complex projects likely to have a greater effect on the area’s cultural resources and historic properties. For example, the agreement includes a list of low-risk projects that the consulting parties agreed do not warrant additional consultation, accompanied by reduced reporting requirements.
Oregon Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Chrissy Curran said, “It’s not lost on me that successful collaboration, negotiation, and meaningful consultation represent something far bigger in our world today than a project agreement.” The programmatic agreement was developed over 18 months of robust consultation, including monthly working group meetings and discussions. Instead of providing a draft document for review and comment, consulting parties met each month to review different parts of the document, including real time edits to address concerns and incorporate best practices. USACE, the ACHP, Oregon SHPO, Indian Tribes, recreational partners, and other interested parties heard and addressed concerns in real time. The agreement defines roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols to
ensure USACE is using its funding and personnel wisely for the preservation and management of cultural resources and historic properties. It also establishes continued engagement with consulting parties and other processes to ensure cultural resources are considered early in project planning. Since execution in June 2022, USACE has already seen the benefits of the agreement, including expedited review and more deliberate response to infrastructure emergencies while still
ensuring consulting parties are notified and their comments incorporated into USACE practices. The agency estimates approximately 1,000 cultural and historical resources are located within its area of operations in the Willamette Valley. These include archaeological sites, historic buildings, landscapes with cultural or religious significance to Tribes, and including USACE’s own Willamette Valley Project infrastructure—the protection of which helps to preserve the region’s history and heritage for future generations.
100
IN A SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP: A Report on Federal Historic Properties • 2024 | 101
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker