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E-mail Update -- August 30, 2004 -- Volume 4, Number 143
4th Annual Columbia River Boat Tour – Another Success!
Many Oregon and Washington state legislators and key Northwest Congressional staff joined port, business, labor, agricultural, navigation, and community leaders for an informative tour of the Columbia River from Vancouver/Portland to Longview on August 23, 2004.
Participants were able to personally view the ports of Vancouver, Portland, Woodland, Kalama, St. Helens, and Longview, longshoremen at work, wheat and other cargo being loaded, large ocean-going ships being piloted through the channel, tugs and barges in action, and other elements of the navigation system that supports our region’s trade-based economy. They were also briefed on the economic benefits and environmental protections of the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project to deepen the navigation channel from 40 to 43 feet, to accommodate the larger more fuel efficient vessels that dominate transpacific trade, to sustain over 40,000 dependent jobs and another 59,000 jobs influenced by Columbia River maritime commerce, and to improve the environmental condition of the river and estuary.
This boat tour provided an excellent opportunity to thank legislators who have actively supported the channel project, encourage strong future legislative support, and provide a detailed project update to all participants.
Special thanks to the generous co-sponsors of this successful boat tour:
Columbia River Bar Pilots
Columbia River Pilots
Columbia River Steamship Operators
Foss Maritime Company
International Longshore & Warehouse Union
(ILWU): Locals, 4, 5, 8, 12, 21, 28, 40, 50, 53 & 92
Oregon Wheat Growers League
Tidewater Barge Lines
Washington Association of Wheat Growers
Senator Murray & Congressman Baird Celebrate Milestones:
On Monday, August 23, several dozen Coalition members joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Brian Baird at the Port of Vancouver to celebrate the recent completion of several key project milestones for the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project. Some of the recent milestones celebrated include:
- Signing of the Project Cooperation Agreement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the sponsor ports, which is the final administrative action necessary to begin channel deepening construction.
- Acquisition of several dredge material disposal sites.
- Completion of White House Office of Management & Budget Project review.
- Finalizing of contracts to start project construction, beginning with ecosystem restoration feature construction this year.
- Inclusion of $15 Million in the President’s FY 2005 Budget for the project.
- Progress of the FY2005 Energy and Water Appropriations bill through Congress.
Thanks to Senator Murray and Congressman Baird – and the entire Northwest Congressional delegation -- for their long-standing support. And thanks to everyone who participated in celebrating these key project milestones last week.
OMB Completes Project Review:
On August 12, 2004, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) formally provided approval of the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project. OMB Director Josh Bolton sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works John Paul Woodley, Jr. indicating the completion of OMB’s project review and recommendation for the project to move forward. More good news!
Oregon Transfers Channel Funds To Ports:
Another major milestone occurred last week! The State of Oregon’s matching funds for the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project were transferred to the Port of Portland on behalf of the project’s other non-federal sponsor ports (ports St. Helens in Oregon and Kalama, Longview, Vancouver and Woodland in Washington).
The transfer of these funds indicates the final action securing Oregon’s share of the cost ($27.7 million) of the project. The State of Washington’s matching funds (also $27.7 million) were previously appropriated and made available for project construction.
Coalition Keeps Expanding:
We welcome the following organization who officially joined the 215-plus other Coalition members during the past two weeks:
- Columbia County (Oregon) Commission
Did You Know?
Despite close-proximity to the ocean and other advantages, there are several economic and environmental reasons why Astoria cannot become our region’s “super-port”.
The Astoria area lacks land as well as road and rail transportation infrastructure that would be required to accommodate a large enough port to support our region’s trade-based economy. The cost to build such infrastructure would far exceed the cost of deepening and maintaining the Columbia River navigation channel. In addition, the environmental impacts of filling in major parts of the lower Columbia River estuary to accommodate port facilities near Astoria would far exceed the minor impacts of Channel Deepening and would make construction impossible. This alternative was carefully studied during the feasibility study for the channel deepening project. The community and Port of Astoria have bright economic futures, but re-locating our region’s port facilities to Astoria is economically and environmentally unrealistic.
Please contact
us with any questions, concerns, or information requests. Thanks for your
partnership in building a stronger economy through maritime trade.
Dave Hunt, Executive Director
Theeme Holznagel, Office
Manager
Columbia River Channel Coalition
(503) 285-6343 (voice), (503) 285-6350 (fax)
CRCC@ChannelCoalition.com (e-mail)
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