September 9, 2020
NRM Assessment Tool Updates - Opens September 15
I am asking for your full support in our annual NRM Assessment that provides leadership and reviewing agencies such as the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with data for performance and strategic metrics. Portions of this data is presented at annual budget time to the Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASACW) and to OMB. Other data is directly used to help rank budget work packages or provide input to the Civil Works Strategic Plan. I cannot understate the importance of having quality data and encourage extra focus on data quality for this entry period. The field POCs have been notified earlier of this entry period, but I wanted to bring the effort to your attention. I do understand we have pressing work to do each day, but I can assure you this data is used to direct funds, prioritize work and most importantly tell the NRM program story to those outside the NRM and Operations community. Please review the following bullets which outline the highlights for this year.

1. The NRM community (Recreation and Environmental Stewardship Business Lines) will continue to utilize the NRM-Assessment Tool, https://corpslakes. erdc.dren.mil/employees/nrmassessment/tool.cfm, to collect annual data that will then be uploaded into OMBIL.

2. OMBIL will remain the primary database of record for all O&M business line data. OMBIL/NRM Assessment Tool data is used for many different purposes, including decisions concerning facility development, budget development and defense, tracking performance measures, preparation of briefings and fact sheets, asset management, etc. It is used to populate information on the Gateway and numerous other internal and external web sites. OMBIL will continue to serve as source for many other systems including CWIFD and EDW. Inaccurate and/or incomplete data not only reflects poorly on the Corps and renders a disservice to the public, but could also jeopardize the viability of our O&M missions and budget defense.

3. This platform is a gained efficiency for one-stop data entry rather than input into several systems as had been the standard in the past. The NRM-Assessment tool will serve as the data collection platform necessary to feed OMBIL the appropriate data. This process is more in line with other business lines that import data such as hydropower and navigation while allowing the NRM business line more flexibility and less OMBIL contractor work. Training through web meetings will be provided to the field on the data entry process as needed and will be announced through the OMBIL District POCs. The schedule for entering data by modules is as follows.

Recreation PSA Module
• CLOSED

NRM Module

• Opens September 15 and Closes October 31 to field entry.
• Concurrent District Review during this time period.
• Includes Corps PSA Fee Information and Dates, Volunteer Information, Passes, Project Public & Service Roads, Project Trails (NEW), Title 18 Offences, Interpretive Contacts, Special Events, and Law Enforcement Contracts
• Main changes for this year include the new Project Trails step and updates to the Interpretive Contacts Step.

Environmental Stewardship Module

• Opens September 15 and Closes October 31 to field entry.
• Concurrent District Review during this time period.
• Includes Shoreline Management, Boundaries, Encroachments & Trespasses, Master Plans, Fire Management, Land Mitigation, Fish Mitigation, Cultural Resources, Pollinators, Soils Classification, Vegetation Classification, Wetland Classification, Land Classification, Invasive Species, and the Federal Special Status Species
• Main changes for this year include recommendations from the SAT and include removal of Land Mitigation, Fish Mitigation, Soils Classification and Wetland Classification. This information will become static information. Vegetation Classification has been updated in that only existing category acres and conditions may be updated. Land Classification has been updated to better reflect the primary classification in the ER/EP. Pollinators questions have been reduced. A couple of new questions have been added to boundaries which include information on project/district boundary management plans. MAJOR CHANGE FOR THIS YEAR, SOME STEPS WILL NOT HAVE PREPOPULATED DATA. PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR DATA WILL BE DISPLAYED.

Partnership Module

• Opens October 1 and Closes November 15 to field entry.
• District Review November 16 through December 7.
• Contact the Partnership Advisory Committee for assistance.

4. I'm requesting your continued leadership support to reinforce the importance of data and to provide "quality assurance" on accurateness and completeness of the data.

Thank you for all you efforts and if you have any questions please contact me. My POC on this effort is Dena Williams who can be reach at (615) 202-4095 or dena.k.williams@usace.army.mil

Jeff
Jeffrey F. Krause
Chief, Natural Resources Management

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