Upper Monongahela River Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 519
Granville, WV 26534-0519

Friday 1 August 2003

SENT VIA FAX

Congressman Alan B. Mollohan
2346 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515-4801

Dear Congressman Mollohan:

Now that the House has recessed until 2 September, and with the Senate scheduled to begin recess on Monday, I ask if you might tell me the current status of legislation of interest to us, ie, UMRA, and the Pittsburgh-based River Navigation Coalition to which we also belong.

Specifically, are there any provisions in any of the current versions of authorization and appropriations bills (eg, WRDA 2003), in the House and in the Senate, providing funds to address the lock hours problem on the Upper Allegheny and the Upper Monongahela?

For the Upper Mon, we are most interested in funds to keep our locks open 24/7 during the recreational boating season, and, funds for your initiative to automate lockages at the Morgantown, Hildebrand, and, Opekiska locks.

We also understand that Congress may reauthorize the very successful Boating Infrastructure Grant program. We ask that our WV and PA congressional delegations support renewal of the BIG program. Thanks to the efforts of the WV Public Port Authority, our Upper Mon in WV will benefit from $100K pending from the BIG program. Renewal of the BIG program will provide further opportunity to advance recreational boating on the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers in our region.

Sincerely,

Donald Strimbeck, Secretary
Upper Monongahela River Association, Inc.

cc via fax: Senators Byrd, Rockefeller, Santorum, and, Specter
Representatives Rahall, Capito, Doyle, Murtha, Hart, and, Murphy