NOR'WESTER NEWSLETTER ISSUE #381                                           Visit us on Facebook! Facebookmasthead

February 9, 2011

In This Issue:
Federal funding update
Corps schedules annual Columbia Snake System Lock Users meeting
Corps to host last conference call update on extended lock closure
Corps Annual Dredging and Resource Agency Coordination Meeting announced
PNWA announces newest member: Normandeau Associates, Inc
Online registration available for PNWA Mission to Washington and Regional Meetings
Sponsorship Opportunities Available for Taste the Northwest reception

Federal funding update

 

For the past few months, there has been a tug of war in our nation's capital regarding spending limits, earmarks, and which programs should or shouldn't be cut.  The following is a summary of the FY2011 fiscal year that is already underway, the FY2012 budget that will be released next week, and the great earmark debate. At the end of the story, please note our thoughts on the path forward. 

 

FY2011 Appropriations

 

We are over four months in the 2011 fiscal year, and federal agencies are currently operating under a fourth continuing resolution (CR), which is set to expire on March 4th.  Last week, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) called for $58B to be cut from FY2011 domestic spending.  In the preceding months, some Republicans had called for a $100B trim from domestic agencies in FY2011, but with the fiscal year already well underway, that goal likely will not be met.  House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) followed Ryan's announcement with proposals for how much funding each appropriations bill would receive in the $58B reduction scenario.  The House Energy & Water bill, which includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Department of Energy, would receive $29.9B.  The President's request (budget) for those agencies for FY2011 had been $35.3B.  Those agencies received $33.5B in FY2010 funds.  These proposed House cuts would be 15% below the President's budget, and 10% below FY2010 enacted levels.

 

If the House is successful in passing these proposed FY2011 domestic spending cuts, that effort is likely to come to a halt in the Democratically-controlled Senate.  For now, it is assumed that another CR will be needed by early March, as a compromise is not yet in the offing.  However, if the proposed cuts eventually come to pass after a longer period of negotiation, the pain will be more acute, as the cuts will be spread over a shorter period of time.

 

Earmarks

 

For the remainder of FY2011 and FY2012, the big news is the ban on earmarks.  House and Senate Republicans had previously pledged a two-year ban on earmarks.  Last week, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) announced that the Senate would follow suit, and would not include earmarks in FY2011 or FY2012 bills.

 

 "The handwriting is clearly on the wall," Inouye said in a statement. "The president has stated unequivocally that he will veto any legislation containing earmarks, and the House will not pass any bills that contain them. Given the reality before us, it makes no sense to accept earmark requests that have no chance of being enacted into law. At the appropriate time," Inouye said, "I will once again urge the Senate to consider a transparent and fair earmark process that protects our rights as legislators to answer the petitions of our constituents, regardless of what the president or some federal bureaucrat thinks is right."

 

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) noted that "we're being pragmatic about this year, but we also [believe] strongly that, as members of Congress, we have to represent our states and fight for them."

 

PNWA participated in the FY2011 appropriations process, and successfully advocated for several funding increases for navigation infrastructure projects in the Northwest.  For a detailed listing of the projects we support, the funding that was proposed in the budget, and the spending levels that had been proposed in the House and Senate bills, see our FY2011 Appropriations document.

 

FY2012 Budget

 

The Administration has indicated that the FY2012 budget will be released next Monday, February 14th.  That is one week later than the traditional date of the first Monday in February, with the delay attributed to the seating of a new Director of the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), as well as the lingering uncertainty regarding Congress' work on FY2011 spending levels.

 

Once the budget is released, PNWA will work with our Corps colleagues to understand proposed project funding levels.  Our goal is to understand how much dredging, jetty repair, and lock maintenance can be accomplished with what is in the budget.  From there, we determine appropriate levels of advocacy for Northwest navigation projects.  We will report on the budget once it is released, and we have reviewed the document with our agency colleagues.

 

What Does it all Mean?

 

With an earmark ban in place for FY2011 and FY2012, it is reasonable to assume that the Administration and federal agencies will have more discretion over spending decisions.  It is possible that the next few years could be similar to what happened in FY2007, when Congress did not complete most appropriations bills, and agencies were required to submit work plans for committee approval.

 

PNWA has long had excellent relationships with the Corps of Engineers at every level, and your staff has been working closely with Corps HQ, Northwestern Division, and the districts in the Northwest to communicate our priorities. PNWA staff met with Corps HQ staff on January 25th in DC, and meets regularly with regional staff. As Corps funding will undoubtedly be reduced along with most other domestic agencies, we will continue our conversations with our Corps colleagues to determine how projects will be affected.

 

It should be noted that an earmark ban does not mean that PNWA or its members should stop communicating with our Northwest Congressional delegation.  It is our belief that navigation infrastructure projects funded through the Corps of Engineers already have undergone a significant amount of oversight.  Every Corps of Engineers project that appears in an appropriations bill is the product of a study that weighed the costs and benefits of the project, and determined that it provided a positive return on taxpayer investment.  PNWA will continue to regularly communicate with Northwest Members of Congress and their staff, highlighting projects that are inadequately funded, and encourage our delegation to actively engage on behalf of projects that are important not only to residents of the Northwest, but also the nation.

 

PNWA staff contact: Kristin Meira

 

Corps schedules annual Columbia Snake System Lock Users meeting

 

The Portland District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled their annual Columbia Snake System Lock Users meeting for February 24th at 10am at the 8th floor Port of Portland Commission Room, 7200 NE Airport Way, Portland Oregon.  Please note that this meeting will take place immediately prior to PNWA's Lower Columbia River/Oregon & SW WA Coast Regional Meeting.  The agenda released by the Corps earlier today is as follows:

 

10am: Welcome and introductions

10:15am: CSRS extended lock outage update

10:30am: John Day Major Rehab/Maintenance study

10:40am: John Day North Fish Ladder

10:50am: Bonneville Maintenance Update

11:00am: Ambursen Section

11:10am: Inland Marine Transportation System Update

11:20am: Vancouver to The Dalles Hydrographic Surveys

11:30am: Fashion Reef status and 18-mile shoal channel realignment

11:40am: Stakeholder comments & concerns

 

If you have any questions or need further information on this Corps event, please call Jon Gornick, Technical Manager for the Columbia & Lower Willamette Rivers, Portland District USACE at 503-808-4341.  For questions regarding the PNWA Regional Meeting, contact Heather Stebbings at [email protected] or 503-234-8553. 

 

PNWA staff contact: Heather Stebbings

Corps to host last conference call update on extended lock closure

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled the next Columbia Snake River System's extended lock closure conference call for Tuesday, March 1st at 1pm.  The call will include final details of the gate replacements for The Dalles, John Day and Lower Monumental locks and will also provide updates on the routine maintenance taking place at the remaining five locks on the system.  

 

To participate in the call, dial (888) 622-5357 and use the access code 418583.  While the call will primarily be a listening session for stakeholders, there will be a brief question and answer period following the update.  To ensure that the Corps can address your questions, please e-mail them in advance to Scott Clemans. For current updates and audio recordings of past calls, visit the Extended Navigation Lock Outage website at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/navigation/lockoutage.asp. 

PNWA staff contact: Kristin Meira

Corps Annual Dredging and Resource Agency Coordination Meeting announced

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold their annual Dredging and Resource Agency Coordination Meeting on March 10th at the Robert Duncan Plaza, 333 SW 1st Avenue, Portland, Oregon.  The meeting will include reports from Corps staff on 2010 waterway maintenance activities, 2011 dredging plans and the President's 2012 budget.  National and local dredging news, navigation appropriations status updates, and regulatory updates will also be included on the program.  A detailed agenda will be posted at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/navigation/home.asp once all speakers are confirmed.  For additional questions and to RSVP, contact Jessica Stokke at 503-808-4352 or [email protected].

 

PNWA staff contact: Heather Stebbings

PNWA announces newest member: Normandeau Associates, Inc.

 

PNWA is pleased to announce Normandeau Associates, Inc. as our newest member!  Normandeau is proud to serve a diverse range of local and nationwide clients with exceptional expertise in environmental consulting and strategic communication and planning. Founded in 1970, they are employee owned and deeply committed to the success of their clients and their projects. Over the past 40 years, both their geographic and technical scope have expanded to include 17 offices in 9 states, a project resume spanning nearly 40 states and several countries, and a menu of services that includes dredging and sediment management planning, environmental sampling, impact assessment, NEPA documentation, environmental permitting,mitigation planning, and strategic communication and planning including public involvement. Normandeau has three Pacific Northwest offices, in Vancouver, Stevenson, and Wenatchee, Washington.

 

Normandeau's strengths are highlighted by a deep-rooted knowledge of the local region, extensive on-the-ground experience, and broad expertise in their fields, backed by the stability, reputation, and professional resources of a 200-employee-strong nationwide team.

 

Their projects include environmental impact assessment, ecological studies and management, water resourcesplanning, hydropowerlicensing and mitigation, fossil and nuclear siting and permitting, coastal and marineimpact assessments, highway and rail transportationplanning, and a full range of strategic communication and planning services (from stakeholder relations to policy consulting).

 

For more information, contact Kent Snyder (Environmental Consulting) or Karen Ciocia (Strategic Communications and Planning) at 360.694.2300.

 

PNWA staff contact: Heather Stebbings

Online registration available for PNWA Mission to Washington and Regional Meetings

 

Online registration is now available for PNWA's Mission to Washington DC, to be held March 13-17, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt. Visit our Mission page to register.

Registration is also now available for PNWA's regional meetings in February. These meetings are free to PNWA members, and allow the association to prepare for the Mission to Washington, and the policy and project priorities the staff will pursue the remainder of the year. To register, visit our Regional Meetings page.


Staff contact: Heather Stebbings

Sponsorship Opportunities Available for Taste the Northwest reception

 

The PNWA "Taste the Northwest" is our signature event highlighting the bounty of the Northwest during our annual Mission to Washington, DC!  Each year, we attract over 400 attendees including members of Congress, Congressional Staff, federal agency officials, and industry leaders.  The event allows these folks to meet with each other and with the PNWA membership in a casual setting while feasting on all that the Northwest has to offer!  As always, we are looking to our members to donate local foods and beverages from their neck of the woods to send to DC as part of the celebration!  Monetary donations are also welcome to support this event!  Contact Heather Stebbings today at [email protected] or 503-234-8553 for additional information and to show your support! 

 

PNWA staff contact: Heather Stebbings