The U.S. Rep’s Bill Huizenga, Dan Benishek and Candice Miller, joined by two New York State colleagues, introduced a bill to have the U.S. Corps of Engineers treat the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway as one unit when it comes to dredging makes sense.
This legislation would establish a single, comprehensive Great Lakes Navigation System for budgeting purposes. It would take all the individually authorized commercial and recreational navigation projects in the Great Lakes and recognize them as a unified entity to ensure adequate funding. This legislation also creates a program to help reduce the harbor maintenance backlog.
It does not create any new spending – instead uses existing funds from the underutilized Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to establish a cost-share program that makes these funds available by giving priority to harbors that provide a 50% cost-share for a Great Lakes Navigation System project.
The bill is a bipartisan effort by Democrats Slaughter and Higgins and Republicans Candace Miller (MI-10), Bill Huizenga (MI-02), and Dan Benishek (MI-01).
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Dredging Today Staff, July 15, 2013