Monday 11 November 2002
SENT VIA FAX
Representative Alan B. Mollohan
2346 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515-4801
We first organized as the Upper Monongahela Committee for Better Boating in February 2000. Our activity now continues under our new corporate entity in the above letterhead as of 1 July 2002. And, we participate in the Pittsburgh-based River Navigation Coalition formed in December 2001.
Our first communication to you was from Wally Venable on 17 March 2000. We have been in constant touch since then with you and Senator Byrd concerning the lock hours issue on the Upper Mon, and, as of late 2001, the Upper Allegheny.
This leads to three concerns on our part, as discussed in our Board of Directors meeting yesterday.
First, we hope that the controversy over various plans for reorganization of the US Army Corps of Engineers won't adversely affect FY 2003 funding for the Corps. Specifically, we hope that our West Virginia and Pennsylvania congressional delegations can prevent any reduction in lock hours on the Upper Monongahela and Upper Allegheny in FY 2003. This would buy time for the longer-range legislative cure discussed below.
Second, we hope that your request for $5M to automate the Hildebrand and Opekiska locks on the Upper Mon will be funded. We much appreciate your efforts to help improve recreational boating on the Upper Mon.
Third, one theme in all our communications with you and Senator Byrd is that the rationale for Corps waterways appropriations needs to be changed from the current singular emphasis on tonnage transiting locks. Consideration should also be given to the value of cargo transiting locks, recreational boat transits through locks, and, how waterway usage benefits local economies. Here, I commend to you the latest and best article I've read concerning the need to legislate these changes in Corps waterways funding. The article, Waterways Funding Faces Numerous Obstacles, by Bill Evans, is in the 28 September issue of the Waterways Journal.
Now, it would be neat if Congress could enact these Corps funding reforms by the normal legislative process. For reasons we all understand, however, this probably is not possible, even with the new Congress that meets next January. I cite as evidence here the fate of the proposed National Recreation Lakes Act, which was introduced in the current and previous Congress, and, died after referral to committees. Yet, this act was proposed based on a study authorized by Congress.
This leads to our suggestion that perhaps the rationale for waterways funds for the Corps might be accomplished by a rider to an appropriations bill. Then, once this legislative direction is in place, the Corps can then base its request for waterways funds on the totality of waterways needs.
Perhaps this might be done in the new Congress. I am sure that our West Virginia and Pennsylvania congressional delegations might find support for this procedure, from other members of Congress, many of whom are in the congressional boating caucus. Support also should come from many of the organizations representing waterways users (Enclosure 1).
We look forward to working with you in 2003 on waterways funding. I am sure that over time that our West Virginia and Pennsylvania congressional delegations could gain support from other members of Congress representing states and districts with navigable waterways.
Sincerely,
Donald Strimbeck, Secretary
Upper Monongahela River Association, Inc.
Enclosure:
cc via fax:
Representative Mollohan, Morgantown office 304-292-3027
Senator Byrd 202-228-0002 and 304-343-7144
Senator Rockefeller 202-224-7665 and 304-367-0822
Senator Specter 202-228-1229 and 412-644-4871
Senator Santorum 202-228-0604 and 412-562-4313
Representative Murtha 202-225-5709 and 814-539-6229
Representative Shelley Capito 304-926-8912
Representative Nick Rahall 202-225-9061 and 304-529-5716
cc via email: Lock Hours email lists.
D:\LkHrsLtr5MarY2K2 REV4, 7 November 2002.
ENCLOSURE 1.
ADDRESS INFORMATION FOR WATERWAYS ORGANIZATIONS
RECEIVING 11 NOVEMBER 2002 LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN MOLLOHAN. (Via
email, unless no email address listed below.)
(1) Ryck Lydecker, Associate Editor, BOAT/US Magazine, 880 S. Pickett Street, Alexandria VA 22304. 703-461-2864 (fax: 2845). Website is http://www.boatus.com . Email rlydecker@boatus.com .
(2) H. Nelson Spencer, Publisher, THE WATERWAYS JOURNAL, 319 N. 4th St., Suite 650, St. Louis MO 63102-1994. His email address is hnspencer@waterwaysjournal.net . Website is http://www.waterwaysjournal.net . 314-241-7354 (fax: 4207).
(3) Monita Fontaine, NMMA Government Relations, National Marine Manufacturers Association, 1819 L Street NW, Suite 700, Washington DC 20036. 202-861-1180 (fax: 1181). Website is http://www.nmma.org . His email address is mfontaine@nmma.org .
(4) Derrick A. Crandall, President, American Recreation Coalition, 1225 New York Avenue NW, Suite 450, Washington DC 20005-6156. 202-682-9530 (fax: 9529). Website is http://www.funoutdoors.com . General email address is arc@funoutdoors.com. NOTE! National Recreation Lakes Coalition is sponsored by ARC. Website is http://www.recreationlakes.com .
(5) Steve Lewis, President, States Organization for Boating Access, 1987 Perryville Road, Harrodsburg KY 40330. Website is http://www.sobaus.org . Email address for Steve Lewis is lewiss@dnr.state.wi.us .
(6) Al Smith, Federation Director, BASS, Inc. (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), P. O. Box 17116, Montgomery AL 36141-0116. Website is http://espn.go.com:80/outdoors/bassmaster/ . His email address is al.smith@bassmaster.com .
(7) John Burdette, President, West Virginia Bass Federation, P. O. Box 37, New Martinsville WV 26155-0037. Website is http://www.wvbass.com . Email address for John Burdette is jburdette@wvbass.com .
(8) R. Barry Palmer, Executive Director, DINAMO (Association for the Development of Inland Navigation in America's Ohio Valley), Regional Enterprise Tower, 425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 700, Pittsburgh PA 15219-1811. 412-392-4550. FAX 412-392-4520. Website is http://www.dinamo-waterways.org . Email is barry.dinamo@pittsburghchamber.com .
(9) Rick Cunningham, President, Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals, Inc., P. O. Box 4363, 921 N. Congress Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39296. 601-352-4778. FAX 601-355-1506. General email address is admin@irpt.net . Website is http://www.irpt.net .
(10) James McCarville, Executive Director of Port of Pittsburgh Commission, website http://www.port.pittsburgh.pa.us. 425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2990, Pittsburgh PA 15219, 412-201-7330 (fax 7337). jim@port.pittsburgh.pa.us.
(11) Andrew Talento, Vice President, Pennsylvania Boating Association, P. O. Box 27295, Pittsburgh PA 15235. Email address trmta.andy@attbi.com .
(12) Robert P. David, President, National Boating Federation, P. O. Box 4111, Annapolis MD 21403-4111. 410-626-8566.
(13) Bill Condon, President, American Boating Association, P. O. Box 417, Harwich Port MA 02646. Website is http://www.americanboating.org . 508-432-8846. FAX 508-430-2049.
(14) Rosemary M. Lynch, Executive Director, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association, 643 South Washington Street, Alexandria VA 22314. 703-837-9629. FAX 703-518-8490. Website is http://www.atlintracoastal.org . Email address is rosemary@kreative.net . Rosemary@atlintracoastal.org.
(15) Mike Ferris, President, River Navigation Coalition, and, Pirates of the Allegheny, RD #1, Box 1981, Godfrey Landing, Leechburg PA 15656. Email CaptMike41@aol.com . Work 800-632-7783. For information re Pirates of the Allegheny, and, Boaters are Voters (see next listing), go to http://www.anchorsaweighmagazine.com, then, to connectors to these two websites.
(16) Captain George W. Boyle, Boaters are Voters, 22 Werner Road, Pittsburgh PA 15238. 724-274-8501 (fax: 4865). His email is boatersarevoters@aol.com.
(17) Jim Schmitt, Publisher, Anchors Aweigh Magazine, 548 Juniper Court, Mars PA 16046. 724-779-7000 (fax: 7003). Cell phone 412-996-4000, Email anchor@zbzoom.net. Web site www.anchorsaweighmagazine.com.
(18) R. Andrew Riester III, Ex. VP, NATIONAL WATERWAYS CONFERENCE INC., 1130 17th St NW Suite 200, Washington DC 20036-4676, 202-296-4415, FAX 202-835-3861, email andrew@waterways.org .
(19) Dennis L. Kirwin, President, WATERWAYS WORK, 801 N. Quincy St Suite 200, Arlington VA 22203, 703-373-2261 (fax 2037), email dkirwin@vesselalliance.com .
(20) Jack R. Simpson, LITTLE RIVER BOOKS, website http://www.littleriverbooks.com , email JackSimpson@littleriverbooks.com , phone 314-921-4419, address 2175 Huntington Drive, Florissant MO 63033-1227.