Ecosystem Management and Restoration Research Program

ERARG

Roles and Responsibilities

The Environmental Research Area Review Group (ERARG) is a group of USACE professionals representing each of the CONUS USACE Districts and Divisions and Hawaii. The ERARG is composed predominantly of members of the USACE Planning Community; the technical background and experience of the RARG members is quite varied, but many have a technical foundation in one or more of the biological sciences with relevance to ecology and environmental restoration. Recent additions to the RARG have also brought in individuals from Operations, whose perspective is important to coordination of multi-objective research between the other CW business lines – Navigation (NAV) and Flood Risk Management (FRM).

Increasingly, environmental restoration projects are being developed with a broader perspective than just the core ecological objectives; potential benefits and impacts, including flood risk management and navigation, must also be considered. This requires effective coordination between business lines – ENV, FRM and NAV - and supporting expertise in related technical areas. Activities of the ERARG are coordinated by the Environmental Business Line Manager, the Technical Director for Civil Works, Environmental Engineering & Sciences and the EMRRP Program Manager. The ERARG presently meets one time per year to review and prioritize SONS submitted to the BL, review the progress and direction of ongoing work units, and strategize overall program goals and objectives.

Clearly, the ERARG plays a key role in informing the direction of the research conducted under the EMRRP program; the ERARG is a key vehicle by which field needs are communicated to the research community, and products and capabilities communicated back to the field.

The ERARG also holds several virtual meetings throughout the fiscal year, to consider proposals prepared in response to high ranking SONs, to provide input to ongoing research efforts at key points in the FY, and to discuss broader technical issues and program initiatives necessary to provide the field with the tools that they need.