Issue 275, May 31, 2007
In this issue:
Rep. Hooley introduces bill to support federal investment in wave
energy research
Port security grant program
receives funding boosts
Federal agencies release proposed actions for
Columbia River BiOp
Puget Sound
steelhead listed at threatened
New staffer joins Rep.
DeFazio office
Director of Facility Maintenance
position open
Rep. Hooley introduces bill to support federal investment in wave
energy research
The House Energy &
Environment Subcommittee of the Science & Technology Committee recently
met to consider Rep. Darlene Hooley�s (D, OR-5) bill to provide for federal
investment in research and development of marine renewable energy
technologies.� The �Marine Renewable
Energy Research and Development Act� (H.R.2313) would support emerging
renewable energy technologies in the U.S.� These technologies aim to harness the
power contained in ocean waves, flowing tides, ocean currents, and ocean
thermal gradients.
Countries such as Australia, Portugal
and the UK
have heavily invested in marine renewable technologies to tap the ocean�s
potential and will soon link their first commercial projects into their
power grid. ��Many countries are
already a step ahead of the U.S.
in embracing the potential of marine renewable energy,� said Hooley.� �If U.S. industry and universities like
Oregon State can achieve the remarkable gains they�ve made over the last
several years with limited or no federal investment, imagine what could be
accomplished if Congress makes a serious investment in the future.�
Northwest co-sponsors include Reps.
DeFazio, Inslee, and McDermott.� Hooley
intends to advocate for the inclusion of H.R.2313 in energy independence
legislation that will be considered by several House Committees in the
coming weeks.
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Staff Contact: Kristin Meira
Port security grant program receives funding boosts
FY2007 Supplemental appropriations bill
Last Friday, President Bush signed
H.R. 2206, the FY2007 supplemental appropriations bill.� Of particular interest to PNWA members is
the inclusion of $110 million in additional funding for the port security
grant program.� This funding is on
top of the existing $210 million that was already approved during the
FY2007 appropriations process, for a total of $320 million for FY2007.
FY2008 House Homeland Security appropriations bill
The House Homeland Security Appropriations
Subcommittee recently completed work on its FY2008 funding bill for the
Department of Homeland Security.�
Notably, the subcommittee included $400 million for port security
grants, which nearly doubles the amount ($210 million) that was included in
the President�s FY2008 budget.� PNWA
members will remember that our association is supporting $400 million for
FY2008, which matches the authorized amount that was included in last
year�s approved SAFE Port Act.� We
are very pleased to see that the House has taken this important first step
to fully funding the program.
The full House Appropriations
Committee will next consider the bill, and recommend it for House
passage.� Attention will then turn to
the Senate, where supporters hope to secure a matching $400 million
appropriation.� We will continue to
keep you updated as the appropriatons process
continues.
PNWA Staff
Contact: Kristin Meira
Federal agencies release proposed actions for
Columbia River BiOp
The Corps of
Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration and Bureau of Reclamation
released a draft of their proposed actions that will be the subject of a
new Biological Opinion by NOAA Fisheries. The actions address all four H�s,
although hatcheries and harvest get very little attention compared to hydro
system operations and habitat.
The agencies
have returned to the basic principles of the 2000 BiOp,
which may help meet Judge James Redden�s
standards. NW Fishletter reports that at a March
status conference, Redden remarked off-handedly that he would approve a new
BiOp that would keep the dams in place and be
similar to the 2000 BiOp with more definitive
funding attached to make sure things happened -- "something like the
2000 and get the money."
The hydro
component includes spill, flow augmentation and improvements for fish
passage, including more spillway weirs to guide fish safely past the dams. Reservoirs
will be operated at minimum operating pool (MOP) on the lower Snake River
and at minimum irrigation pool (MIP) on the John Day
reservoir. Breaching dams is not a part of this plan. These operations will
allow navigation to continue with full access to the 14-foot channel
authorized by Congress.
The proposal
also doubles funding for habitat improvements. Judge Redden threw out the
2000 BiOp principally because habitat restoration
actions were not "reasonably certain to occur." In 2000, habitat
funding relied on future Congressional appropriations, which could not be
assured. The current plan includes a long term commitment from BPA to fund
the habitat program.
Parties to
the BiOp lawsuit have until June 11th to
comment on the proposed actions. The federal agencies will then prepare a
final set of proposed actions that will be reviewed by NOAA Fisheries, who
will then issue a new Biological Opinion. The parties will be in Judge Redden�s court June 20th, at which time a
new due date for the BiOp is expected.
PNWA and the
Inland Ports and Navigation Group will
continue to participate in the processes that surround the BiOp and the court cases. We will work to maintain
navigation, hydropower and the other Congressionally authorized purposes of
the river system while meeting the recovery needs of the listed fish.
PNWA Staff
Contact: Glenn Vanselow
Puget Sound steelhead
listed at threatened
NOAA
Fisheries has listed Puget Sound steelhead
as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. They join 26
other listed anadramous fish runs from Northern California to the Canadian border.
Scientists
with NOAA's biological review team judged that
the overall viability of the Sound stocks was at high risk because of
declining productivity and abundance, with a more moderate risk associated
with reduced spatial complexity.
The new
listing includes steelhead from Hood
Canal and the eastern half of the
Strait of Juan de Fuca, along with two winter-run
hatchery stocks -- the Green River natural run and Hamma Hamma River.
With the
local chinook already listed, and a recovery plan
for them recently approved, NOAA Fisheries regional administrator Bob Lohn said the region had already provided a solid
foundation for recovering the steelhead.
PNWA polled its
Puget Sound members about potential
impacts. The new listing will add complexity to ESA consultations already
required because of the previous listings. Other impacts of the listing are
not yet known, but most are optimistic that the listing will not have a
major impact on their port or other waterfront operations.
PNWA Staff Contact: Glenn Vanselow
New
staffer joins Rep. DeFazio office
PNWA is pleased to report that
Allison Dane will begin work for Rep. Peter DeFazio (D, OR-4) next week as his professional staffer on the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.� Allison will take over for
longtime DeFazio staffer Kathy Dedrick, who is
now a professional staffer at the Senate Environment & Public Works
committee.
Allison has spent the last two
years as a Senior Legislative
Assistant for Rep. Rick Larsen (D, WA-2).� Prior to that, she worked for Rep. Brian
Baird (D, WA-3) and at Collins and Company, a government relations firm.� We wish Allison a warm welcome, and look
forward to introducing PNWA members to the newest member of Rep. DeFazio�s
staff.
PNWA Staff Contact: Kristin Meira
Director of Facility Maintenance
position open
The Humboldt Bay Harbor,
Recreation and Conservation district is currently inviting applications for
the Director of Facility Maintenance.�
Under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer, the Director of
Facility Maintenance oversees the Harbor District�s maintenance staff,
Harbor District vehicles and vessels, and maintenance of all Harbor District
facilities.� Application forms may be
found online at www.portofhumboldtbay.org or picked up at the District office, and must be received no later
than 4pm June 27, 2007.�
PNWA Staff Contact: Heather Kenneson
Pacific Northwest Waterways
Association
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