President's Proposed Budget Supports PNW Waterways Projects

President’s Proposed Budget Supports Pacific Northwest Waterways Projects

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

The Pacific Northwest Waterways Association advocates for federal funding for our region’s navigation projects. In President Obama’s proposed 2014 budget, despite an overall decline nationally to the Corp of Engineers budget, PNWA Executive Director Kristin Meira says the Pacific Northwest’s navigation projects fared well.

Meira: “That really highlights just how important these infrastructure projects are not just to our region but the nation. On the Lower Columbia River, that is our deep draft export gateway where we see more wheat being exported than through any part of the United States, we fared very well in the budget for funding for dredging on the Lower Columbia River. That was very robustly funded in the administration’s budget. We also saw great funding committed by the administration for eventual maintenance dredging on the Lower Snake River that’s our inland barging channel. It helps to feed that number one wheat export gateway on the Lower Columbia.”

Another exciting project that is to be awarded start money -- on which we will report more tomorrow -- is the long awaited and much needed improvement to the jetties at the mouth of the Columbia River.