Resolution: Support for Allocation of Funds To Adequately Operate and Maintain the Great Lakes Marine Transportation System
Adopted on May 13, 2005.

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Whereas, the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway system moves over 200 million tons of cargo a year, generates over $3 billion annually in revenue in the U.S. (and another $2.25 billion in Canada) and supports over 150,000 jobs; and

Whereas, the marine mode of transportation in the Great Lakes has the environmental advantages of being more fuel efficient per ton/mile of cargo than truck or rail, producing fewer toxic emissions, causing fewer accidents, and having the capability of relieving congestion in heavily used surface transportation corridors; and

Whereas, the proposed USACE operation and maintenance budget for the Great Lakes in fiscal year 2006 of $73 million represents a 15 percent decrease from FY 05 and a 24 percent decrease from FY 04, further contributing to a $195 million backlog in maintenance of Great Lakes ports and connecting channels; and

Whereas, on a dollar per ton basis, the Great Lakes marine navigation system receives half the amount of operation and maintenance funds allocated to the Ohio River system, and less than every other commercial navigation system in the country but the Mississippi; and

Whereas, core regional industries put at risk by underfunding operation and maintenance of the Great Lakes marine transportation system include steel manufacturing, electrical power generation, construction and agriculture; and

Whereas, within the USACE budgetary process a proposed one million-ton cargo criteria for maintaining commercial ports inappropriately prevents consideration for some ports which may be vital to the Great Lakes navigation system;

Therefore, Be It Resolved, that budget allocations be annually established recognizing the factors of dollar-per-ton costs, regional balance and system reliability together to adequately maintain ports, harbors and connecting channels of the Great Lakes marine transportation system, thus lowering the risk of system failure and protecting tens of thousands of jobs in Great Lakes states and provinces; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the threshold of one million tons of cargo throughput be eliminated as a requirement for port maintenance by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and

Be It Finally Resolved, that the Corps of Engineers adopt a budget allocation process that uses an impartial methodology to set priorities for the Great Lakes navigation system and transportation systems in all other regions.

Unanimously adopted by the Great Lakes Commission at its 2005 Semiannual Meeting in Buffalo, New York, May 13, 2004.