GALVESTON, Texas -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District (SWG) real estate specialists will be going door to door seeking rights of entry (ROEs) from Orange County property owners on April 3 and 12, 2024.
This month’s ROE visits are necessary to compete the efforts initiated in July and August of 2023.
SWG has been seeking the ROEs to conduct cultural resource investigations and renew existing ROEs in support of the Orange County Coastal Storm Risk Management Project. The Orange County Project is part of the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay (S2G) Coastal Storm Risk Management Program.
While traveling door to door, real estate specialists will ensure property owners have the chance to grant permission in accessing their property to further the design of the Orange County Project.
ROEs are valid for a up to a year—or more—and can ensure property owners are contacted and notified before USACE personnel and/or USACE-hired contractors access their property.
Property owners can share site-specific conditions including advanced notification, preferred access routes, and wildlife warnings as part of the ROE.
SWG staff conducting the visits will have official USACE credentials on hand for landowners to verify. Once property owners sign the ROE, they can ask to see a copy for verification.
“The investigations that these ROEs facilitate are necessary to ensure we design the right project,” said Lt. Col. Ian O'Sullivan, Galveston District's Mega Projects Division’s deputy commander. “By doing this, we also ensure landowners are informed, that USACE is being transparent with the public, and that we maintain safety for everyone involved in the investigation process.”
The Orange County Project is designed to reduce risk to human life and critical infrastructure, maintain and restore coastal habitat, enhance energy security, and identify opportunities to enhance existing hurricane protection systems. The project is part of the Galveston District’s comprehensive plan to increase coastal resilience against the intense storms that frequently hit the 400-mile Texas coastline.
USACE partnered with the Gulf Coast Protection District, Orange County Drainage District, and Orange County for the pre-construction, engineering, and design of the Orange County Project.
The project includes approximately 20 miles of new earthen levees; approximately three miles of new concrete floodwalls; between 150 to 200 gravity drainage structures; 14 to 16 new pump stations; about 40 closure structures; two navigable sector gates; and the restoration of impacted marsh and forested wetlands.
For more information on the Orange County Project, visit https://www.swg.usace.army.mil/S2G/OrangeCounty/.
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