Army Corps of Engineers Hiring and Recreation Area Management

Seasonal Hiring and Recreation Areas

• 🎯 The Army Corps manages over 4,300 recreation areas nationwide, supporting local economies and recreational activities like boating, fishing, and hiking.
• ⚠️ A previous administration hiring freeze prevented the Corps from hiring seasonal staff, leading to closures, reduced hours, and limited services at these sites.
• 💡 Thanks to advocacy from Senators Alsobrooks and Kramer, the Army Corps received an exemption to hire up to 320 seasonal employees for recreation areas.
• ✅ The Corps has hired nearly 100 employees for recreation facilities and expects minimal impacts by next spring due to this exemption.

Ecosystem Restoration and Civil Works

• 🔬 Senator Alsobrooks inquired about potential impacts of federal hiring freezes on ecosystem restoration work and other civil works programs.
• 🚫 Lieutenant General William H. Graham Jr. stated he is not aware of any impacts on the Corps' core missions of flood risk mitigation, navigation, and aquatic ecosystem restoration.

Atlantic Coast Shoreline Protection Project

• 🌊 The Atlantic Coast of Maryland Shoreline Protection Project, managed by the Army Corps, protects Ocean City from coastal storm damage using engineered beaches and dunes.
• 💰 This project has prevented approximately $927 million in storm-related damages since the 1900s and relies on periodic beach nourishment.
• 🗓️ The next replenishment cycle, originally scheduled for late 2025 to mid-2026, has been delayed and is now expected to begin in September 2026.
• ❓ While the cause of the delay was not fully detailed, the replenishment cycle is typically four years, with the last nourishment occurring in 2022.
• 📊 General Graham noted that beach renourishment projects involve working with variable natural conditions, impacting the predictability of erosion and accretion.