United States Department of Agriculture 

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

US Army Corps 

of Engineers :n" 

Mississippi Valley Division 

REGIONAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 

BETWEEN THE 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE 

AND THE 

UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS 

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DIVISION 

I. INTRODUCTION. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers executed a National 

Partnership Agreement (NPA) with attached principles on July 7, 2005, in order to 

provide a foundation for collaboration related to protection, restoration, and/or 

management of water resources and related natural resources within the authorities, 

policies, and procedures ofNRCS and the Corps. 

This Regional Memorandum ofUnderstanding (Regional MOU) is entered between the 

Mississippi Valley Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) through the St. 

Paul, Rock Island, St. Louis, Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans Districts, 

represented by their Division Commander, and NRCS acting through its Central and East 

Regional Conservationists for the purpose of facilitating mutual interests and focusing 

objectives within each agency's area of responsibility and interest. This Regional MOU 

incorporates and is subject to all of the conditions and terms of the NP A. In case of a 

conflict between this Regional MOU and the NP A, the NPA provisions shall prevail to 

the extent applicable. The geo·graphic scope of this Regional MOU shall be the 

Mississippi River and its floodplains, from its headwaters to its delta including tributaries 

and distributaries that are located within MVD geographic boundaries. 

II. PURPOSE. Each agency seeks to facilitate effective and efficient management of 

important natural resources within the context of the COE District's civil works mission 

and the mission(s) ofNRCS in a manner consistent with the authorities and regulations 

governing Corps and NRCS policies. The following objectives are agreed upon within 

the geographic scope of this Regional MOU: 
a. Sustain and conserve key functions and attributes of floodplain habitats and 

upstream or non-floodplain habitats in a manner that meets human needs and protects the 

natural biological communities and diversity of the ecosystem. 

b. Conserve, stabilize, and sustain key functions and attributes of stream/river 

channels including upstream river banks, lakes, and ponds in a manner that meets human 

needs and protects associated ecosystems and their native biological diversity. 

c. Promote prudent and effective protection, restoration, enhancement, and 

management of wetlands and connected water resources in a manner that meets human 

needs and protects key functions and attributes of said ecosystems and their native 

biological diversity. 

d. Explore new and innovative techniques and strategies for conserving and 

managing water resources and for enhancing and restoring channels, streambanks, ponds, 

and floodplains and upstream habitats as appropriate to each agency, collaborate on 

projects that assess, demonstrate, and measure these techniques and strategies and their 

potential to contribute to meeting the goals for achieving a sustainable ecosystem or 

watershed. Share technology, processes, and data as much as possible. 

e. Identify opportunities for cooperative conservation activities (e.g. projects, 

programs, conferences, etc.) and overlapping interests throughout the COE and NRCS 

consistent with that outlined in the NP A or regional interests not in conflict with the 

NPA. 

f. Utilize Executive Order 13352 on Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation for 

regional effectiveness related to comprehensive water and related natural resources 

management and conservation. 

g. Coordinate other programs and activities to the maximum extent allowed by law, 

policy, and regulation including, but not limited to, Wetlands Conservation Compliance 

(Swamp buster) and Regulatory (Section 404 of the Clean Water Act). 

h. Identified NRCS and COE regional MOU points of contact to ensure effective 

roll-out of the Partnership Handbook and Watershed Investment Decision Tool as actions 

from the NPA. 

III. RESPONSIBILITIES. The parties, to the extent authorized by law and by both 

NRCS and COE policies and within existing legal authorities, agree as follows: 

a. The COE Districts will consider environmental sustainability concepts suggested 

by NRCS for incorporation into the conceptualization, evaluation, planning, construction, 

and operation of COE District projects within the geographic scope of this Regional 

MOU. 

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b. NRCS may, as appropriate and subject to regulation and its internal policy 

regarding confidential information, contribute upon request pertinent scientific and 

conservation planning infonnation to COE Districts for their projects within the 

geographic scope of this Regional MOU. 

c. The COE Districts and NRCS shall, as appropriate, share infonnation and 

expertise in exploring potential restoration and water-management projects to help assure 

that these projects are designed using the best and most current knowledge and 

technology, take advantage of innovative and new approaches, include well-designed 

adaptive management plans, and advance the state-of-the-art for engineering projects that 

are ecologically sustainable in a multi-use arena. This may include, where authority and 

funding are available, jointly undertaking demonstration projects and identifying and 

pursuing policies and programs needed to implement any such projects. 

d. COE Districts and NRCS will seek opportunities to ensure appropriate mitigation 

of project impacts to include concepts such as mitigation banking, in-lieu fee, and other 

compensatory mitigation concepts consistent with law and project requirements. 

e. NRCS and the COE Districts will work together to monitor and assess the success 

of any joint projects and to disseminate lessons learned to interested parties to benefit 

restoration and water management projects throughout the region. 

f. The COE Districts and NRCS will work together to facilitate collaborative efforts 

on the broader use of restoration and water-level management tools and techniques that 

have proven successful. This may include identifying and recommending policies and 

programs needed to implement them on a broader scale. 

g. NRCS will, as appropriate and subject to staff availability, participate in advisory 

groups to the COE Districts, including such groups as the Navigation Environmental 

Coordinating Committee, River Resources Forum, River Resources Coordinating Team, 

River Resources Advisory Team, Lower Mississippi River Resource Assessment, 

America's Inner Coast Summit efforts, their respective committees and workgroups, and 

other groups and teams as appropriate. 

h. The parties to this Regional MOU recognize that all projects must operate in 

accordance with authorized project purposes and funding limitations. All actions taken in 

accordance with this Regional MOU are subject to the availability of funds, and nothing 

in this Regional MOU shall be interpreted as constituting a violation of the AntiDeficiency Act. 

i. This Regional MOU is neither a fiscal nor a funds obligation document. Any 

endeavor involving reimbursement or contribution of funds between the parties to the 

Regional MOU will be handled in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and 

procedures. Such endeavors, if any, will be outlined in separate agreements that shall be 

made in writing by representatives of the parties and shall be independently authorized by 

appropriate statutory authority. This Regional MOU does not provide such authority. 

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Specifically, this MOU does not establish authority for the non-competitive award to 

NRCS of any contract or other agreement. 

j. Nothing in this Regional MOU prohibits the parties from soliciting or receiving 

advice and assistance in the objectives set forth above from other governmental entities 

and private groups or individuals. 

k. Each agency, while receptive to the provision of suggestions, concepts, and 

scientific and conservation planning information from other agencies and all other public 

entities, shall remain responsible for all decisions involving the planning and 

implementation of projects as authorized by law and for which funds are available. 

I. The following are points of contact (POC's) within each of the COE Districts and 

NRCS for specific project planning and development purposes. 

Corps 

NRCS 

St. Paul District - Environmental Chief- 651-290-5264 

Rock Island District- Environmental Chief- 309-794-5349 

St. Louis District - Environmental Chief- 314-331-8462 

Memphis District - Environmental Chief- 901-544-0707 

Vicksburg District - Environmental Chief- 601-631-7156 

(Action District) 

New Orleans District- Environmental Chief- 504-862-2778 

Regional Conservationist - Central - 202-690-2198 

Arkansas State Conservationist - 501-301-3100 

Illinois State Conservationist- 217-353-6600 

Iowa State Conservationist- 515-284-6655 

Louisiana State Conservationist- 318-473-7751 

Minnesota State Conservationist - 651-602-7900 

Missouri State Conservationist- 573-876-0900 

North Dakota State Conservationist - 701-530-2000 

South Dakota State Conservationist - 605-352-1200 

Wisconsin State Conservationist - 608-662-4422 

Regional Conservationist - East- 202-690-2198 

Kentucky State Conservationist - 859-224-7350 

Mississippi State Conservationist - 601 -965-5205 

Tennessee State Conservationist - 615-277-2531 

IV. IMPLEMENTATION. 

a. This Regional MOU becomes effective when signed by all signatory parties and 

remains in effect until modified or terminated by either COE or NRCS. This Regional 

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MOU may be modified or amended at any time by mutual agreement of COE and NRCS 

in writing, and may be terminated by either party upon sixty (60) days prior written 

notice. Modifications to the National MOU will also be considered to have modified this 

Regional MOU. 

b. The parties of this regional MOU or their designated representatives shall have an 

annual MOU review to implementation and accountability of this MOU. 

c. The NRCS and COE intend to conduct the activities contemplated in this 

agreement in accordance with existing authorities. If any provisions of this Regional 

MOU are determined to be inconsistent with existing laws or regulations or directives 

governing the signatories, then the provisions of this Regional MOU not affected by a 

finding of inconsistency shall remain in full force and effect. 

d. Lead regional organizational POCs for this agreement are the NRCS Regional 

Conservationists' Chief of Staff at 202-690-2198 and the COE Regional Environmental 

Team Leader at 601 -634-5854. 

V. COUNTERPARTS. This Regional MOU may be executed in any number of 

counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of 

which when ether shall cons · t ne and the same agreement. 

Thomas W. Christensen 

Regional Conservationist, Central 

USDA-NRCS 

Leonard Jordan 

Regional Conservati' nist, East 

USDA-NRCS 

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