Location and date
Beneficial Use Goods and Services Tool (BUGS)
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
The Beneficial Use Goods and Services (BUGS) Tool is a preliminary planning aid designed to document and compare beneficial use placement site options along with their associated ecosystem goods and services.
Request Download: BUGS Tool V1.0
Considerations
Objective: The tool is not designed to assess and select a single 'winning' site but rather to document the various benefits of different placement site alternatives. This approach supports multiple viable beneficial use (BU) options with varying benefits.
Flexibility: Recognizing that each district or division has unique criteria driving decision-making, the tool aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of short- and long-term benefits and costs for each beneficial use alternative.
Consistency and Comparability: It provides relevant context to aid both internal and external communications.
Build a Narrative: Developing a narrative for each placement site is crucial (see Table 1). This narrative will help communicate the results effectively to multiple stakeholders, ensuring a clear understanding of the benefits and considerations associated with each site.
Leveraging Past Information: The information generated through the BUGS Tool can be referenced in future USACE BUGS efforts, studies, and projects, allowing users to build on past successes. Think of this process as layering information over time:
- Initial Investment: The initial effort involves organizing thoughts and some data. This foundational layer sets the stage for future use and expansion.
- Subsequent Layers: Each subsequent year, this initial information is leveraged and additional layers are added. These layers include new data, refined analyses, and updated insights.
- Cumulative Benefits: Over time, this layered approach results in a comprehensive, rich repository of information that enhances decision-making and project planning.
By continuously building and layering information, users can create a robust, evolving resource that grows more valuable and insightful with each iteration. This method ensures that the initial investment in organizing data and thoughts pays dividends in the long term, providing a solid foundation for ongoing and future projects.
US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) contacts:
Burton Suedel, Burton.Suedel@usace.army.mil
Chuck Theiling, Charles.H.Theiling@usace.army.mil
Jusin Wilkens, Justin.L.Wilkens@usace.army.mil
Ben Emery, Benjamin.E.Emery@usace.army.mil
Jen Miller, Jennifer.Miller@usace.army.mil
Funding for development of BUGS: The development of this tool was initially funded by the ERDC Dredging Operations Technical Support Program (DOTS) in response to a request from USACE leadership. The ERDC Dredging Operations Environmental Research Program (DOER) is now funding a multi-year effort to further develop and refine the tool for use in the field.