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221 West First Street Duluth, MN 55802 218.529.7541 800.232.0707 |
HTAC Great Lakes Ports Advocacy Coalition
The Great Lakes Advocacy Coalition is a grass roots effort that began during discussions at an HTAC meeting in 2005. Its mission is to raise awareness about funding Great Lakes maritime infrastructure. Great Lakes ports are currently bearing a larger share of federal budget cuts and receive less federal investment in infrastructure than coastal ports and inland river ports. In the case of the Ohio River ports, organized advocacy groups have been effective at lobbying federal lawmakers in Washington D.C.The chair of this subcommittee is Ted Smith, an HTAC member and president of Marine Tech, Inc. in Duluth, MN. MIC staff will be assisting this coalition by performing meeting facilitation and developing correspondence materials. Great Lakes Ports Advocacy Coalition/Oberstar Dinner On January 25, 2008, HTAC staff, Great Lakes Port Advocacy members and Duluth Seaway Port Authority staff organized a dinner program with Congressman Jim Oberstar. Invited guests included Duluth-Superior port business owners and the mayors of Duluth and Superior. The event was held at Northland Country Club in Duluth. Program speakers included Ted Smith, Chair of the Great Lakes Ports Advocacy Coalition, Adolph Ojard, Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and Congressman Jim Oberstar. We also heard from Superior Mayor David Ross and Duluth Mayor Don Ness. Congressman Oberstar started his keynote address by reminiscing about how he had been clerk for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in 1963 and then became the Chair of that same committee on January 17, 2007. He reflected on the committee’s history and its many accomplishments. In 2007, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee had over 350 hours of hearings and signed 46 bills into law. When he took over as Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, there had not been a new Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) bill since 2000 due primarily to the Senate not acting on the bill for three congresses. WRDA was intended to be renewed every other year. Under Oberstar’s leadership, a WRDA bill passed both the House and the Senate garnering enough votes to override a veto from President Bush. This bill will fund much needed maritime transportation infrastructure projects including a backlog of Great Lakes ports dredging projects and 100% federal funding of a new Soo Lock. Other topics that Oberstar touched on include the need for a national policy on ballast water and how short sea shipping could reduce congestion on our highways. He concluded his presentation stating that we need to build key partnerships that can work cooperatively on solutions that will make our transportation network more efficient in moving people and goods. Great Lakes Ports Advocacy Coalition/Oberstar Luncheon On February 22, 2007 the HTAC sponsored a luncheon featuring Congressman Jim Oberstar as the guest speaker. Invitations were sent to Duluth-Superior port businesses to hear the Congressman speak about the future of Great Lakes maritime infrastructure funding. The Great Lakes Ports Advocacy Coalition also presented five talking points. The goal of the luncheon was to bring the maritime community together to hear about future maritime funding and to encourage them to join forces with other Great Lakes maritime businesses in advocating for additional funding. Attendees were encouraged to join the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force. Oberstar agreed that the current dredging backlog coupled with historically low water levels have made additional system maintenance funding necessary and he would work to secure additional dredging funding. He pointed out that proceeds from the Harbor Maintenance Tax Trust Fund would cover much of this work. A change in how the funding is accessed is needed. Great Lakes Ports Advocacy Coalition’s five talking points are:
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| Project Updates
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| Further research revealed that the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF), a group organized to support the Jones Act and other cabotage laws, has broadened its mission to include advocating for additional Corps maintenance and operation funding. The Advocacy Coalition is encouraging participants to join the GLMTF and will be organizing a membership meeting in Duluth-Superior in early 2007. The goal is to have additional members that are interested in increasing the level of Corps funding across the entire Great Lakes. |
| For More Information
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| Contact MIC Principal Planner Andy McDonald by phone at (218) 529-7514 or send a message by email. |
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| We are seeking public review and comment on the following planning initiatives: DRAFT 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the Superior Metro Area |
| Featured Planning Project
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| Long Range Transportation Plan - Directions 2035 |
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| Study Shows Arrowhead Region Rich in Transportation Assets
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| A recent study released by the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), Arrowhead Region's Transportation Assets: A Case Study of the Twin Ports Region of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, highlights the assets and opportunities related to multi-modal transportation systems in the Twin Ports area of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. |