Issue 278                                                                                                               June 29, 2007

In this issue:
FY2008 Senate Energy & Water Appropriations moves forward

 

FY2008 Senate Energy & Water Appropriations bill moves forward

Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee cleared the FY2008 Energy & Water appropriations bill.� The bill, which was marked up by the subcommittee on Tuesday, proposes $5.448B for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including $2.292B for operations & maintenance (O&M) funding.� The House version of the bill includes $5.58B for the Corps, though project funding details have yet to be released.� PNWA and its members are very gratified to see Congress taking such an interest in the nation�s water resources infrastructure, and commend our Northwest delegation in particular for several significant project funding increases.

 

Following are the PNWA-supported projects which received proposed funding increases in the Senate bill.� Projects not listed in the following table have been included in the bill, at the President�s budget request level.

 

Project

President�s budget

Senate recommendation

Senate Requestor(s)

Lower Columbia River ecosystem restoration

1,000,000

1,500,000

Murray

Elliott Bay seawall study

0

750,000

Murray & Cantwell

Lake Washington Ship Canal study

0

400,000

Murray & Cantwell

Columbia River at the Mouth (MCR dredging & jetties)

12,050,000

14,820,000

Murray, Wyden, Smith

Tillamook Bay & Bar (Port of Garibaldi)

0

2,000,000

Wyden & Smith

Yaquina River (Port of Toledo)

0

400,000

Wyden & Smith

Swinomish Channel (Port of Skagit Co.)

0

500,000

Murray & Cantwell

Columbia River at Baker Bay (Port of Ilwaco)

0

500,000

Murray & Cantwell

Columbia River b/t Chinook & Sand Island (Port of Chinook)

0

500,000

Murray

 

 

The next step in the process will occur when the House version of the bill is re-released, this time with specific project funding numbers. �A more general reflection of House funding priorities was introduced and cleared the House Energy & Water Appropriations subcommittee as well as the full House Appropriations committee earlier this month, but was then caught up in a partisan dispute about when and how to reflect earmarks/project funding.� It is expected that the House bill will be revamped to reflect project funding, as the Senate bill does, and that the new version will be ready for the House floor in July.

 

As the House and Senate move toward completion of their versions of the FY2008 Energy & Water appropriations bills, PNWA will keep you informed of specific project funding numbers and important language in the bills.� For more information, or to find out how to get involved please contact PNWA at 503-234-8550 or www.pnwa.net.

 

Staff Contact: Kristin Meira

 

Pacific Northwest Waterways Association                                          www.pnwa.net