Letter to the Hon. Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary for the Army of Civil Works - Encouraging the Administration to Fund Operations and Maintenance Projects at Oregon's Small Ports

Letter

Dear Secretary Darcy:

I request that, as you develop the fiscal year 2017 work plan for the Army Civil Works program through April 28, 2017, you maintain the President's Budget request for the Ports of Siuslaw (Siuslaw River) and Brookings Harbor (Chetco River), and include additional critical operation and maintenance funding for six other small port projects in the State of Oregon: the Umpqua River project (Port of Umpqua), the Coquille River project (Port of Bandon), the Rogue River project (Port of Gold Beach), the Tillamook Bay and Harbor project (Port of Garibaldi), the Port Orford project, and the Depoe Bay project.

On December 12, 2016, the President signed the Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 114-254) into law. This bill included approximately $1.79 billion for the Corps to carry out operation and maintenance needs, nationwide, including the operation and maintenance needs of small, commercial harbors, through April 28, 2017. While no explanatory statement was filed in coordination with this law, the House Report (Report No. 114-532) to accompany the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2017, identified $50 million in unallocated operation and maintenance funding reserved for work at small, remote, or subsistence navigation projects. I request that you allocate a portion of any undesignated operation and maintenance funding for these Oregon small port projects, and that their total capabilities are included in the final fiscal year 2017 work plan.

As you know, funding for the Ports of Siuslaw, Umpqua, Bandon, Gold Beach, Brookings Harbor, Garibaldi, Port Orford, Toledo, and Depoe Bay was included in the fiscal year 2016 workplan. However, despite a continuing need for maintenance work at all of these facilities, no funding was included in the fiscal year 2017 President's Budget for the Ports of Umpqua, Bandon, Garibaldi, Port Orford, or Depoe Bay. Based on conversations with the Portland District and local ports, I have been informed of additional Corps' capability for these projects, as well as for the Port of Gold Beach (Rogue River) project, in fiscal year 2017, in the following amounts:

Project Name Additional FY 2017 Capability Total FY 2017 Request

Umpqua River (Port of Umpqua) $945,000 $945,000

Coquille River (Port of Bandon) $467,000 $467,000

Rogue River (Port of Gold Beach) $1,400,000 $2,073,000

Tillamook Bay and Harbor (Port of Garibaldi) $773,000 $773,000

Port of Port Orford, Breakwater Repair $5,000,000 $5,000,000

Depoe Bay $27,000 $27,000

Small ports and harbors are some of our nation's most valuable assets and critical to maintaining and creating jobs. Commercial fishing and recreational boating at these small ports is critically important to the economic health of Oregon coastal communities and to our state, region and nation. That's why it is so important that funding to dredge these ports is included in the 2017 work plan.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.