04.15.16

Hoeven Working to Advance Permanent Flood Protection for Red River Valley and Minot

Senator Secures Flood Provisions, Funding in FY17 Energy & Water Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Senate’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved this week, contains important provisions and funding that support permanent flood protection projects in Fargo and Minot. The bill provides $6 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, nearly $1.4 billion more than the Corps’ FY17 budget request, which will help ensure continued progress on flood control projects around the country. As a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, Hoeven also worked to continue advancing North Dakota’s projects by supporting the inclusion of the following measures:

• A provision endorsing public-private partnerships (P3) and recommending that the Army Corps of Engineers continue to use P3 projects.
• $500,000 in funding for the Souris River Basin feasibility study, which matches the Corps’ FY2017 request.

“Our state’s residents deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their homes and businesses are protected,” said Hoeven. “We continue working to make sure the funding and necessary language is in place each year to keep advancing flood protection projects in Minot and the Red River Valley.”

These measures are the latest of Senator Hoeven’s efforts to continue moving forward on comprehensive flood protection for the Minot and Red River Valley regions. Earlier this year, Hoeven announced that the FY16 Army Corps included funding for both Fargo’s permanent flood protection project and Minot’s feasibility study. Hoeven wrote and secured the language in the FY2016 appropriations bill that authorized the new study and construction starts. Following this, the senator again met with Col. Daniel Koprowski, Commander of the St. Paul District Corps of Engineers, in March to continue securing support for the projects.

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