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<< Back E-mail Update – March 21, 2004 – Volume 4, Number 5 Partners Advocating For Fy2005 Federal Funding: The Coalition thanks the members of several partner organizations who are traveling to Washington, D.C. this spring to help advocate for $15 million in the FY2005 Energy and Water Appropriations bill for the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project. Among the organizations participating in these critical lobby trips are the Columbia/Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council; Idaho Farm Bureau; Idaho Grain Producers Association; Idaho Wheat Commission; International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) Columbia River District Council; Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT); Oregon Farm Bureau; Oregon Wheat Commission; Oregon Wheat Growers League; Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA); Portland Business Alliance/PNITA; City of Vancouver; Washington Association of Wheat Growers; Washington Potato Commission; Washington Wheat Commission; Washington Farm Bureau; as well as the Oregon ports of Portland and St. Helens and the Washington ports of Kalama, Longview, Vancouver, and Woodland. We want to thank these groups and so many other organizations that have made channel deepening a high priority at this important time. Congress has appropriated a total $10 million for Channel Deepening since FY2001, since the Northwest Congressional delegation understood the project’s economic importance even though environmental regulatory approvals had not yet been fully granted. These funds have been instrumental in completing engineering, project design, and environmental studies for the project. These funds will be used this year to begin the first phase of construction (ecosystem restoration) along with continuing the monitoring program, environmental studies and preparation of plans and specifications for allotting dredging contracts in FY2005. Now that all environmental reviews are complete and all Oregon and Washington state matching funds have been appropriated, a $15 million appropriation is now needed so the actual deepening of the navigation channel may begin in FY2005. We sincerely appreciate your partnership in advancing this key appropriation. If other organizations are planning a trip to Washington, D.C. and would like to participate in lobbying for channel deepening, please contact Theeme Holznagel or call 503-285-6343 to receive background materials or briefings to assist you in this effort. Addendum To Nw Delegation Meetings: As we noted in our last E-mail Update, we met with most Members of Congress from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington during the recent PNWA Mission to Washington, D.C. We failed to mention that U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell’s staff also met with our group, since Senator Cantwell was tied up in debate on the Senate floor. Like her Northwest colleagues, Senator Cantwell continues to be a strong proponent of the channel project. Administrative Approvals Moving Forward: Although all federal and state environmental agencies have approved the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Record of Decision has been issued, some administrative reviews are still in process. Washington State holds no additional requirements for expending their appropriated matching funds. Oregon’s appropriation (also $27.7 million), however, will be funded through Lottery Bonds that may only be issued once the Corps and port sponsors sign a Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA). The PCA describes the roles and responsibilities and cost sharing agreements for management of the project. Once the Corps and port sponsors finalize the agreement (which is nearly complete), the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASA) must then approve the PCA, which is expected this spring. Once the PCA is signed, Oregon will proceed with issuing Lottery bonds to produce the state matching funds. The President’s Budget Request for FY2005 included a placeholder for the Channel project, but no specific funding amount was indicated. Currently, the ASA is conducting a separate project review. Following that review, the White House Office of Management and Budget will conduct their project review and could then recommend a specific FY2005 funding amount to the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committees. The House and Senate committees are just beginning their work for FY2005 and will make the ultimate funding decisions, which then must be signed by the President. Working With Wahkiakum County: During the past few weeks, Coalition members have been working closely with Wahkiakum county and port officials to address water-related challenges facing Puget Island and other parts of the county. This partnership follows our previous successful efforts in facilitating the filling of the county-owned Puget Island sand pit with over 35,000 cubic yards of sand dredged from the Columbia River navigation channel. (The incremental costs for this project were paid by the Port of Portland.) We look forward to continuing this partnership in the months and years ahead. Response To “Crossroads” Report: A report issued last week by the National Wildlife Federation and Taxpayers for Common Sense portrayed Columbia River channel deepening as one of ten projects that will “harm the environment and waste taxpayer dollars.” Clearly, these two groups haven’t been paying attention. In reality, the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project has been through one of the most – if not the most – rigorous environmental and economic reviews in the United States. Environmentally Responsible: This project has been granted favorable Biological Opinions by both NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Water quality permits and coastal zone management approvals have been issued by both Oregon and Washington state environmental agencies. The project includes mitigation for all unavoidable impacts as well as ecosystem restoration measures that will go above-and-beyond any impacts to leave the river better off than before the project. In addition, unprecedented levels of research and monitoring have been added to the project to ensure that any unexpected impacts are immediately identified and adapted. Economically Important: This project’s benefit-to-cost ratio has been recalculated time and again to ensure a positive return on investment. Although the projections have varied somewhat during the past few years – accounting for inflation and more detailed analysis of the channel itself – the benefit-cost ratio has consistently demonstrated a strong value. For every dollar invested in constructing this project, our nation will get $1.66 in economic return. And these estimates include none of the regional economic benefits for communities throughout the Northwest. Critics who have estimated fewer benefits have under-valued the importance of agriculture and have failed to produce their analysis to the independent economists reviewing the project. Deepening the navigation channel from 40 to 43 feet will give our region better access to the large, fuel-efficient ships that dominant the transpacific fleet, ensuring that Northwest cargo may be cost-effectively shipped around the world. Please don’t believe the rhetoric from the far left and the far right ends of the political spectrum. In fact, deepening the Columbia River navigation channel is good for our economy and our environment. Coalition Keeps Expanding: We welcome the following organizations who officially joined the Coalition during the past two weeks:
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