Recognizing 10th Anniversary Of The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association

Floor Speech

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 465 offered by Mr. Brown of South Carolina. This resolution recognizes the importance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and acknowledges the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association on the occasion of its 10th anniversary.

The waterway was authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1937 for the purpose of supporting and encouraging interstate commerce. Today, the waterway allows for the safe and efficient transportation of goods along the Atlantic coast from Norfolk, Virginia, to Key West, Florida.

The waterway is comprised of numerous channels and rivers that were once separate and distinct. For example, the Dismal Swamp Canal was once a 22-mile-long waterway that supported commercial vessels traveling between Virginia and North Carolina. In 1929, however, it was purchased by the Federal Government for half a million dollars and incorporated into a larger transportation network. Today, the Dismal Swamp Canal is an integral part of the waterway and is recognized as the oldest operating artificial waterway in the United States. Additionally, it is also on the National Park Service's Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.

The waterway holds great significance to those who live in the southeastern United States. It enables waterborne transportation to move smoothly and efficiently and provides numerous recreational opportunities for anglers and boating and enthusiasts.

It is appropriate to recognize the importance of the waterway to the quality of life of our citizens and to the thousands of commercial, recreational, and military vessels that utilize the system each year.

This resolution also acknowledges the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. This association has worked over the last decade as an advocate for keeping the waterway open and safe for navigation. It is appropriate to recognize its numerous contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution and urge my colleagues to support it as well.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

According to the Chesapeake Convention and Tourism Bureau, Edgar Allen Poe reportedly wrote parts of his famous poem ``The Raven'' while traveling the Dismal Swamp Canal, which was later to become part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, AIWW, was authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1937 to provide a safe inside navigation channel for commercial shipping. Completed in 1940, the AIWW runs along the southeast coast of the United States from Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida, measuring 1,088 miles long.

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is also used extensively by recreational boaters. Studies have shown that recreational boaters bring millions of dollars to State budgets. The waterway is also used by vessels not equipped for ocean travel or for when weather conditions make the ocean too rough to travel.

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway has a good deal of commercial activity. Products shipped include fuel oil, gasoline, asphalt, fertilizers, chemicals, wood chips, wood, limestone, sand, gravel, iron, steel, slag, lime, fabricated metal products, soybeans, vegetables, produce, and electrical machinery, all of which are shipped along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association was organized in 1999 to address the navigation challenges of the waterway and to encourage the continuation and further development of waterborne commerce and recreation on the AIWW of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The association has been an outspoken advocate for regular dredging and adequate maintenance to promote safe, cost-effective navigation along the AIWW and is known as the ``Voice of the Waterway.''

Today, we recognize the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association on the occasion of its 10th anniversary.

And with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. NORTON. I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he might desire to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown).

Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Mr. Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) for yielding and the gentlelady from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for her support of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, while only 10 years old, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association, AIWWA, has become a strong voice representing the interests of commercial and recreational users of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway by promoting the waterway as a vital marine highway along the Atlantic coast, providing safe navigation for commercial and recreational vessels.

The association was organized in 1999 to address the navigational challenges of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and to encourage the continuation and further development of commerce and recreation on the AIWW. At present, the association has more than 200 members consisting of tug and barge companies, shippers, port facilities, marinas, dredging companies, and others with an interest in the waterway.

The AIWW was completed in 1940 and runs along the southeast coast of the United States from Norfolk, Virginia, to Key West, Florida, and measures 1,088 miles long. It has historically served as an important shelter for mariners from the stormy seas of the Atlantic. Since it runs parallel to Interstate 95, the waterway has the potential to become a major marine highway, serving as a safe, fuel-efficient, and economical alternative to congested highways and rail lines.

Every ton of traffic that runs through a marine highway like AIWW is a ton of traffic that isn't on our congested highway system. I have heard from multiple shippers visiting my office that would love to have a nonhighway shipping option. AIWW connects all of the east coast ports. The potential for coastal traffic between these ports is significant and has the ability to have a major impact on smaller ports like Georgetown in my district. In fact, if the AIWW could be developed as a marine highway, the South Carolina State Ports Authority has estimated business growth at the Port of Georgetown could be more than 2.5 million tons of cargo a year. However, the waterway faces significant funding challenges.

In South Carolina alone, the Army Corps estimates that the need of the waterway will total some $14.5 million in fiscal year 2010, yet the administration has requested less than $800,000 for maintenance. Indeed, to bring the entire waterway up to standards and to keep it there will require over $100 million in investment; yet administration after administration continues to shortchange the AIWW in their budget, barely requesting enough money to control the mosquitos.

This is no way to treat such a valuable potential resource, and I want to tip my hat to the AIWWA for their efforts to showcase the potential for the waterway not just to the communities it touches, but to the entire Nation. I'm proud to support the waterway and will continue to fight to ensure that it is not only maintained but improved to improve freight movement and open new economic doors for communities along its banks.

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, having no more speakers on the subject, we do support the adoption of H. Res. 465 recognizing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association, the good work that they have done over the last 10 years, and with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, along with the gentleman from Arkansas and the gentleman from South Carolina who is the author of this resolution, we are pleased to support this resolution.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 465, recognizing the 10th anniversary of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association.

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (Waterway) runs from Norfolk, Virginia, to Key West, Florida, and has been in existence for more than seventy years. The once distinct channels and rivers that now make up the Waterway were brought together to create a continuous waterborne transportation network along the southeastern coast of the Atlantic.

The Waterway has enriched the lives of those in the southeast and served the greater United States by allowing for the safe and efficient transportation of commercial goods along the coast.

This resolution recognizes the importance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to the quality of life of the citizens in the United States, and to the thousands of recreational, commercial, and military vessels that use the system annually.

The resolution also acknowledges the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. This association has worked tirelessly over the last decade to keep the Waterway open and safe for navigation.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 465.

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 465 and to thank the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. BROWN, for introducing this important bill. I have had the good fortune of working with the distinguished gentleman on other legislation, and I can say that on this and other issues, he serves his constituents well.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 465 acknowledges the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, and it recognizes the importance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to recreational, commercial, and military vessels and to the history and quality of life of the citizens of the United States.

Having a congressional district with over 75 miles along the Intracoastal Waterway, I know firsthand its importance to South Florida. It serves as a crucial thoroughfare for the two ports in my district, the Port of Palm Beach and Port Everglades. In fact, the Army Corps of Engineers reported that over 2.5 million tons of freight traffic was shipped along the Intracoastal Waterway in 2007 alone, including commodities such as wheat, corn, and soybeans.

But the Intracoastal Waterway provides Americans with more than just economic activity. Just go out on the water any day of the week in my congressional district and you'll see recreational boaters traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway. Boating is an iconic symbol for South Florida, and the Intracoastal Waterway serves as an important part of that. Simply put: South Florida would not be the boating capital of the world without it.

I also want to take a moment and commend the work of the Florida Inland Navigation District, or FIND. They maintain our state's portion of the Intracoastal Waterway, from Jacksonville to Miami. Created in 1927 by the Florida State Legislature, FIND is a special taxing district charged with helping to maintain the Intracoastal Waterway with the Army Corps of Engineers. They are an important entity and perform an often unheralded job, so I wanted to take this moment to commend the men and women employed by FIND for helping to maintain one of Florida's most important natural resources.

In closing, I want to again thank the gentleman from South Carolina for introducing House Resolution 465, urge my colleagues to support its passage.

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Ms. NORTON. At this time, I yield back the balance of my time.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 465, as amended.

The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.

A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

END

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