Jan 31 (Reuters) - Acting Secretary of the Army Robert Speer has directed the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with the easement needed to complete the Dakota Access Pipeline, U.S. Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota said in a statement on Tuesday.

Hoeven said Speer told him and Vice President Mike Pence of the move. “This will enable the company to complete the project, which can and will be built with the necessary safety features to protect the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and others downstream,” Hoeven, a Republican, said in a statement.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week allowing the Dakota Access Pipeline to go forward, after months of protests from Native American groups and climate activists pushed the Obama administration to ask for additional environmental review for the controversial project.

(Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington)