Nelson Highlights Importance of Waterways’ Maintenance

Port of Grays Harbor Executive Director, Gary Nelson, last week participated in the U.S. House Subcommittee on Water Resources roundtable discussion, named ‘America’s Water Resources Infrastructure: Concepts for the Next Water Resources Development Act, Part II’ in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Representing the Association of American Port Authorities (AAPA) as the North Pacific Caucus Chair, Mr. Nelson addressed the importance of maintaining the nation’s waterways and how AAPA’s unified agreement for full-use of the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) revenues would achieve this.

Roundtable participants included bipartisan leaders of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, along with Congressional staff and an array of public and private stakeholders.

“AAPA has worked with its members throughout the port industry to develop a sustainable, long- term funding solution for maintaining our waterways that is fair and equitable to ports of all sizes,” stated Gary Nelson.

“The unified solution will addresses the equity concerns of donor and energy ports, as well as the needs of emerging ports, while ensuring HMT revenues are used for their intended purpose of navigation channel maintenance.”

Congress is currently working on Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation that authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out navigation, flood control, shoreline protection, hydropower, dam safety, water supply, and environmental restoration activities nationwide.

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