Don't our managers have to be pretty well versed in
the field of wildlife management?
Yes, We have developed reservoir management plans
aimed at maintaining the balance between use of the
land for recreation and preservation of land for
wildlife. This is an area in which we have done a great
deal of planning and have asked the help of other
agencies and the general public. We have not solved
all our problems. We still have things to learn about
habitat needs of some wildlife species. And, we are still
negotiating to insure public access to Corps land in
some projects. There are other management problems,
but viewed as a whole, we have a recreation/resource
management program of which we can be proud.
McDowe// Exhibit Plaza at Scottsdale, Arizona is part of
We've built quite a few visitor's centers recently,
the Indian Bend Greenbelt floodway. The floodway
haven't we? I'm sure these enhance our ability to greet
provides open space for recreation in non-flood times.
the public.
An important part of our O&M is our recreation
Yes. I am very pleased with our visitor information
program. It involves both short and long-term
facilities. We have regional facilities located near
maintenance planning as well as planning for activities.
population centers which present regional and Corps
This program has been expanding rapidly in recent
history, depict local archaeological and wildlife
features, and show locations of projects in the area.
years. We now host over 400 million visits each year at
our projects and we expect that number to grow in the
We also have smaller centers for individual projects
which explain the project and provide the visitors with
future. The expansion is partly due to the energy
information about the recreation facilities available for
crunch-many Corps lakes are located in areas of high
use.
population density-and partly due to our increased
awareness of public needs. We now provide more
facilities, and ones which are more diversified, at our
We have a rather large emergency operations function
projects than ever before. The atmosphere is a
too. Is this function considered Corps operations and
reflection of our new management policies. The
maintenance work, or is our work now directed by the
managers we now put in charge are people who know
new Federal Emergency Management Agency
how to deal with the public. Some of them are Corps-
FEMA?
trained, either at our new facility at Huntsville
Division or through a Huntsville-monitored University
Well, it's a little of both. We don't always work
through FEMA. If there is a flood, I have the
program. Years ago, we weren't so sophisticated. If
authority as Chief of Engineers to direct our people to
our construction engineer was nearing retirement we'd
fight it. We don't have to wait for anyone. In fact, the
say "Well, look Joe, why don't you just stay here and
Division Engineer in charge in the area of flooding has
run the project? You built it so you know how it
the authority. We can divert funds from other public
works." He did know how it worked and he could
keep it working, but he wasn't necessarily good at
works projects and then later go to Congress to
request their replacement. Once the flood is over, if
dealing with visitors. Our managers are a different sort
there has been a lot of damage, the governor can ask
today; they are skilled at working with people.
WATER SPECTRUM. FALL 1980
7
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