Volunteer Program: Policy & Procedures

Volunteer Program - Policy & Procedures

Engineer Pamphlets

EP 1130-2-500, dated 27 December 1996 revised 1 June 2006
Project Operations - Partners and Support (Work Management Guidance and Procedures)
- Chapter 10, Superseded by Implementation Guidance for Section 1047 (d) Services of Volunteers, of the Water Resources and Reform Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, Public Law 113-121.

Engineer Regulations

ER 1130-2-500, dated 27 December 1996 revised 1 June 2006
Project Operations - Partners and Support (Work Management Policies)
- Chapter 10, Superseded by Implementation Guidance for Section 1047 (d) Services of Volunteers, of the Water Resources and Reform Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, Public Law 113-121.
- Volunteer Background Investigation Policy Update, March 2020

Policy Letter

04-01, dated 27 October 2004
Volunteer Value of Service Hourly Rate
Implementation Guidance, dated 12 August 2016, dated 11/2/11
Volunteer Background Investigation Policy Update, dated March 2020
- Webinar on Procedures Update - 19 March 2020 Guidance for Section 1047(d) Services of Volunteers, of the Water Resources and Development Act of 2013, Public Law 113-121" for volunteer background investigations. The guidance is provided to meet the most current security standards for processing background investigations and to provide consistency in procedures across all MSCs. These procedural updates are effective immediately and will be incorporated in the appropriate ER/EP when they are revised.
Volunteer Bonding Policy Letter, dated 07 September 2016

Public Law Regulation

33 USC 569c, Public Law 98-63, Chapter IV of Title, Services of Volunteers
33 USC 569c, further amended by WRRDA 2014 authorized: The United States Army Chief of Engineers may accept the services of volunteers and provide for their incidental expenses, including expenses relating to uniforms, transportation, lodging, and the subsistence of those volunteers, to carry out any activity of the Army Corps of Engineers except policy-making or law or regulatory enforcement. Such volunteers shall not be employees of the United States Government except for the purposes of (1) chapter 171 of title 28, relating to tort claims, and (2) chapter 81 of title 5, relating to compensation for work injuries.
42 USC 139, Public Law 105-19, Volunteer Protection Act of 1997
The purpose of this act is to promote the interests of social service program beneficiaries and taxpayers and to sustain the availability of programs, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities that depend on volunteer contributions by reforming the laws to provide certain protections from liability abuses related to volunteers serving nonprofit organizations and governmental entities.

Memos

09/09/24 2024 Excellence in Partnerships Award and Volunteer of the Year Nominations
On behalf of Mr. Thomas P. Smith, Chief of Operations and Regulatory, I'm pleased to request your nominations for an outstanding partner within your area of responsibility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Excellence in Partnerships Award and outstanding volunteer(s) for the National Volunteer of the Year Award. These awards will be presented in 2025 at the award recipients' locations in ceremonies that recognize their outstanding partnerships and service to USACE.
The Excellence in Partnerships Award began in 2001 and is now in its twenty-third year recognizing exceptional contributions by a partner providing substantial support to the USACE Recreation and/or Environmental Stewardship programs. Each year, the award recipient is selected based on accomplishment of management objectives, creativity, improvements in public awareness and education, serving a diverse public, and involvement of other partners.
The National Volunteer Award began in 2014 and was created to nationally recognize the extraordinary service provided by volunteers, draw attention to their vast skills and contributions, and encourage an attitude of stewardship and responsibility in caring for USACE lands, facilities, and resources. The intent of the award is to distinguish those individuals, couples/family units who give their skills, talents, and time beyond the normal call of duty and whose creditable service to USACE has resulted in the significant enhancement to one or more of the USACE NRM business lines.
Nominations must be routed through each District to the MSC. Each MSC recreation/stewardship business line manager will electronically forward nomination packages assembled in accordance with the enclosed criteria and instructions to Francis Ferrell, CESAW- OP-LRJ, no later than 29 November 2024. A selection committee will review the nominations and provide Jeff Krause, HQUSACE Chief, Natural Resources Management with recommendations for final selection. Two informational webinars will be provided to explain the application process and answer any questions. Webinar invitations will be sent out one week in advance.
Oct 17 from 1:00 – 2:00 Eastern

Oct 30 from 1:00 – 2:00 Eastern

More information about these awards can be found on the NRM Gateway at https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/pa rtners/awards.cfm
Please encourage your staff to nominate worthy partners and volunteers. Their service is invaluable to our NRM mission!
Thank you,
Heather Burke
04/26/24 Volunteer Value for FY 2024 = $33.49
The FY24 figure for the value of service per hour of volunteer time is $33.49. When entering FY24 volunteer data in CWBI-OPS later this year, this value will be auto-calculated for you. https://independentsector.org/resource/value-of-volunteer-time/
For consistency, it is the rate used by all the federal land management agencies to calculate their volunteer value each year.
This information will also be posted on the NRM Gateway at:
https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/employees/faqs.cfm? Id=volunteer&View=Yes

https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/employees/pol icy.cfm?Id=volunteer&Code=All&View=Yes
02/02/24 2023 Volunteer Award Recipients
pleased to share the attached memos, signed by Thomas P. Smith, Chief of Operations and Regulatory, announcing the selection of the awardees for the 2023 Excellence in Partnership Award and the National Volunteer of the Year Award. These awards will be presented to each of the recipients later this year.

National Volunteer Award: This year's USACE national volunteer of the year award recipients are Tim and Pam Harrison of Kaw Lake in the Tulsa District. The Harrisons have donated 6,763 hours of volunteer service over a five-year period including 1,475 hours in FY 2023. While at Kaw Lake, the Harrisons have supported a wide range of objectives, including visitor assistance, interpretation, landscaping, hazard tree removal, invasive species removal, campground host duties and routine repairs and maintenance. Throughout their service at Kaw Lake, they have been invaluable in recovering from several natural disasters, including the 2018 high pool event, the 2019 flood of record, the 2020 historic ice storm, and countless other storm and high wind-related events.

I want to extend my sincere appreciation for the incredible service that all of our partners and volunteers continue to provide USACE and this Nation each and every day!
Jeff
Jeffrey F. Krause
Chief, Natural Resources Management