House Democrats and Republicans announce earmarks restrictions
Last Wednesday, House Democrats announced that they will not request earmarks that would directly benefit for-profit entities. On Thursday, House Republicans announced that their caucus would not seek any earmarks in the FY2011 appropriations process. The Senate as yet has not followed with any similar ban on the ability of their chamber to direct project spending in appropriations bills.
PNWA supports robust federal investment for navigation and surface transportation infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest. With the chronic underfunding of the federal agencies that oversee our nation's infrastructure, Congressionally-directed project spending has been necessary in order to forestall the the potential of a complete failure for many projects in the Northwest. In our view, Congressionally-directed project spending is preferable, when compared to the expense and potential loss of life that would occur should a navigation project experience a catastrophic failure.
It is not clear how the differences between Democrats and Republicans will play out in the House Appropriations bills. Nor is it clear how differences between the House and Senate will be addressed in conference. PNWA will continue to advocate for infrastructure projects with both the House and Senate. You may view our list of supported projects at www.pnwa.net.
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Comments on FEMA Model Ordinance due April 5th
FEMA has released a draft Model Ordinance (MO) for floodplain management and ESA compliance for the Puget Sound. They had been working with just 13 jurisdictions in drafting the MO and, until now, did not make the drafts available to others. We appreciate the efforts of the Northwest Congressional Delegation is helping bring our desire to comment to FEMA's attention.
PNWA and WPPA have a joint working group reviewing the final documents and we plan to submit comments. The draft MO is highly restrictive and could have significant consequences for ports. The draft MO fails to recognize that ports, by definition, need to conduct their business on the waterfront.
The documents are available at http://www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionx/nfipesa.shtm. FEMA will accept public comments on their MO and related documents until April 5th. Please submit comments to FEMA-R10-ESAcomments@dhs.gov or via mail to FEMA Region 10, Mitigation Division, ESA Comments, 130 228th Street SW, Bothell, WA 98021.
PNWA staff contact: Glenn Vanselow |
Principles and Guidelines comments now due April 5th
CEQ has extended the comment deadline on their proposed revisions to the Corps' Principles and Guidelines to April 5th. This revision of the 1983 Principles and Guidelines (P&Gs) was drafted in response to a directive by Congress in WRDA 2007. The 1983 P&Gs applied only to Corps of Engineers and certain Bureau of Reclamation water resources projects. The new "Proposed National Objectives, Principles and Standards for Water and Related Resources Implementation Studies" will apply to all water resources projects undertaken by any federal agency.
PNWA has identified several concerns and offered several suggestions in our comments on earlier drafts prepared by the Corps and OMB. We will provide comments to CEQ as well. Among other provisions, CEQ is seeking to balance economic and environmental considerations. One of their proposals is to "monetize" environmental benefits. PNWA will provide an example of how to do this for ESA-listed fish in our region.
The CEQ draft may be viewed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/PandG. Comments may be submitted at that same web site.
PNWA staff contact: Kristin Meira |
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PNWA staff meetings incoming Walla Walla Commander; receives tour of Lower Monumental lock & dam
Last week, PNWA staff had the privilege of touring Lower Monumental lock & dam with LTC Michael Farrell, Walla Walla District Commander, and incoming Commander, LTC David Caldwell. Staff was able to take a look at the project from the inside out, as we were lowered several stories down by man-baskets into the culverts of the dam where water travels in and out of the lock as it is filled and emptied. We waded through knee deep water en route to the underground construction site, where crews work 12 hour shifts to repair cracking in the culvert walls.
In addition to the culverts, staff toured the electrical area and towers housing the friction drums. We were also able to view the concrete work being done to secure the lock walls. It was a tremendous experience to see first-hand how the money we advocate for is used, and how it keeps this project fully operational and reliable, year after year. PNWA appreciates the Corps team and their contractors for maintaining the efficiency of these projects, often while working in very difficult conditions. We would like to thank the Walla Walla District for inviting us to participate and for allowing us the opportunity to better understand the projects that we work to support.
PNWA staff contact: Heather Stebbings |
Mission to Washington kicks off PNWA's 2010 legislative agenda
Year after year, PNWA is able to bring our membership to Washington, DC and provide an agenda that delivers thoughtful and relevant information. This year was no different - our 76th annual Mission to Washington was one of our best yet! The participation of over 55 dedicated members, numerous generous sponsors and innovative speakers made this week extremely successful, and we would like to thank everyone for adding value to the event.
While in DC, PNWA was able to introduce our 2010 priority issues to Members of Congress, federal agency leaders, and decision makers. We were able to advocate for funding to begin the Columbia River jetty rehab project in FY2011, which is currently ready to move forward and is expected to take 20 years to complete. PNWA was also able to advocate for additional funding for deep draft projects throughout the Northwest; inland projects at six locks and dams on the Columbia Snake River System; and shallow draft projects on the Oregon and Southwest Washington coasts. Individual PNWA members also had the opportunity to discuss projects of importance to their specific organization. In addition, the membership was able to thank each member of the Northwest delegation for supporting the completion of the Columbia River channel deepening.
PNWA would like to thank our friends and colleagues in Washington, DC. With their help, we provided our members with valuable insight into the federal government, the Corps of Engineers and Congress, and the lobbying process. We would also like to specifically thank the delegation offices that helped us secure rooms for our reception, as well as the House meetings and Senate meetings. The staffs from the offices of Senator Murray, Senator Wyden and Congressman DeFazio were invaluable throughout the planning process.
PNWA's regional perspective and consistent message provided a powerful impact to decision makers and leadership in DC. We thank those who were able to participate, and we look forward to advocating for our entire membership throughout 2010. Please note that all Mission to Washington speaker presentations are now posted on our website http://pnwa.net/new/2010_mission_info.aspx. For a full list of PNWA's 2010 funding requests, please log onto www.pnwa.net.
PNWA staff contact: Heather Stebbings |
