• CRANE agreed not pursue, file or fund any potential future litigation that relates or involves the Channel Deepening project or other dredging activities on the Columbia River, such as: maintenance of the 40-foot channel; the Mouth of the Columbia River project; deep water ocean disposal; or maintenance of the 43-foot navigation channel.
• CRANE agreed not to pursue litigation regarding the Port of Vancouver’s Columbia River Gateway Industrial Development project, which is one of the proposed disposal sites for the Channel Deepening project.
• Port of Vancouver will reduce a significant amount of land originally proposed for industrial development at the Columbia River Gateway site and agrees to extensive environmental restoration and management of the land.
• Port of Portland agrees to help fund that restoration by granting $750,000 towards environmental restoration and habitat creation in Columbia River ecosystem areas subject to the agreement.
  

By way of this agreement, the Ports of Vancouver and Portland have achieved two goals. First, the ports eliminated litigation costs by investing just a portion of the funds that would have gone towards current and future litigation with CRANE. Secondly, the Port's instead re-directed those funds towards preserving and restoring a part of the Columbia River estuary.

Now the US Army Corps of Engineers can focus on issuing the Record of Decision this fall, which is the final approval necessary for ecosystem restoration and deepening to begin. Although, the states of Oregon and Washington have fully appropriated state matching funds and congress has already appropriated some funding, additional federal funding is necessary to continue the forward momentum of the Channel Deepening project.

We congratulate the Port’s of Vancouver and Portland for their leadership in moving this resolution forward and for making a major contribution for this settlement to be accomplished.

Save The Date -- Channel Appreciation Day On November 24:
The Columbia River Channel Coalition would like to take an opportunity to recognize and thank the many individuals and groups that have supported the Channel Deepening project over the past 15 years. Please join us on Monday, November 24, 2003, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at the Red Lion Inn at the Quay (100 Columbia Street, Vancouver). RSVP by November 14, 2003, to CRCC@ChannelCoalition.com or 503-285-6343.

Coalition Keeps Expanding:
We welcome the following organization who officially joined the Coalition:
Richland Chamber of Commerce

Did You Know?
In container trade, Portland does 90% of its business with Asia - Japan is the #1 export destination for products from our region (56%), followed by Korea, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

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)