EP 1165-2-1
30 Jul 99
participation) the Corps will participate in facility development to
provide access to and along the project features. The development of
these facilities should not involve extensive structural modification
of the terrain and may include rest areas and picnic facilities.
Ideally these facilities would be a part of a larger non-Corps
recreation plan such as a regional trail system or provide access to
other non-Federal recreation facilities or areas.
(b) Check List of Recreation Facilities. Corps regulations,
ER 1165-2-400 and ER 1105-2-100, include a checklist of facilities
which may be provided in recreation developments at all types of Corps
water resource projects. The referenced list is all encompassing and
it includes not only facilities that can be cost shared, but those
minimum facilities that may be included at lake projects as a part of
the joint cost as well as those that can be constructed by others at
non-Federal expense. This list is applicable for lake projects
(reservoirs) and the associated recreation experience. Approved
recreation facilities which may be cost shared at new ecosystem
restoration projects will also be identified on the aforementioned
checklist when the ERs are updated. Exceptions to the approved
recreation facilities must be fully justified and approved by CECW-P
prior to submitting the project report. The scope of the recreation
development must also be appropriate. Facilities to be cost shared
are limited to standard designs consistent with the natural
environment of the surrounding area but should not include
embellishments such as decorative stone work planters, elaborate
designs or be ostentatious. Recreation development for projects
identified in paragraph 17-3.g above must be provided on the lands
needed and acquired for the basic ecosystem restoration project,
except that additional recreation land may be acquired if needed for
access, parking, potable water, sanitation and related development for
health, safety and public access.
(2) Economic Justification. Reports recommending recreation
development will clearly present the formulation and justification of
the recreation plan to be recommended for Federal implementation.
Federal participation should be limited to support development that
capitalizes on the recreation potential afforded by the ecosystem
restoration project. Incremental justification of recreation features
will be demonstrated in the report. The addition of recreation to the
plan will not influence formulation of the basic ecosystem restoration
project which must produce monetary and/or non-monetary benefits which
justify the monetary and/or non-monetary costs without recreation.
The report will include a description of the competing recreation
facilities, their existing and expected future use with and without
the project, and the unfulfilled demand for the recreation facilities
as identified in such documents as the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor
Recreation Plan. Recreation benefits, costs and cost sharing must be
shown separately.
(3) The Ten Percent Limit Rule. The level of financial
participation in recreation development by the Corps at an otherwise
justifiable project may not increase the Federal cost of the ecosystem
restoration project by more than ten percent without prior approval of
the ASA(CW). The policy to limit the Federal share in recreation
development was first established in a 2 June 1996 memorandum from the
ASA(CW). The purpose of the policy is to allow concentration of
scarce Civil Works funds on high priority features rather than
recreation development. The ten percent limit should be viewed as an
upper limit on Federal cost sharing and not as a goal for
expenditures. The cost of recreation facilities to be cost shared
would normally be less than the ten percent limit.
17-7
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