Columbia River Treaty Update - Upcoming Meetings
The Columbia River Treaty was implemented by the United States and Canada in 1964 to govern Columbia River flows for flood control and power generation. After nearly 50 years, both parties are examining its future. The Treaty states that either nation can terminate most of its provisions beginning September 16, 2024, with a minimum 10 years' written notice. The U.S. Entity (USACE and BPA) will provide a recommendation to the U.S. Department of State by late 2013 to continue, terminate, modify or amend the Columbia River Treaty after 2024. To this end, BPA and Corps of Engineers staff members, on behalf of the U.S. Entity, have been working with tribal, federal and state representatives on the Sovereign Review Team (SRT) to complete technical analyses that will inform the eventual recommendation. Click here for additional information.
USACE and BPA will be holding a series of open houses in April and May to share information on recent study results and discuss the future of the treaty. Click here to view the invitation for the open houses. Click here to view the dates of the open houses. To learn more about the review process, click here.
PNWA members are also invited to share navigation related information with USACE at a meeting on April 22nd, 2013 at the Port of Portland (Chinook Room).
Additional details including time (likely in the morning) and call-in capability will be forthcoming, however, we wanted to ensure that the April 22nd date was send out so that you can mark your calendars. We plan to be in touch shortly with those details. If you have questions in the interim, please contact heather.stebbings@pnwa.net.
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PNWA staff facilitate Transportation 101 briefing in Washington DC
PNWA staff traveled to Washington DC this week to facilitate a "Transportation 101" briefing session for new congressional staffers. The goal of this session is to educate staff on the value of our transportation systems including ports, waterways, surface transportation, rail, and aviation. PNWA staff were joined by presenters from BNSF and Union Pacific Railways, Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Ports of Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland. Educating congressional staff around these issues will help PNWA be successful in requesting funding throughout the year.
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