New legislation that would establish a single, comprehensive Great Lakes Navigation System for budgeting purposes was recently introduced in the House.
Michigan Reps. Candice Miller (R), Bill Huizenga (R) and Dan Benishek (R) and New York Reps. Louise Slaughter (D) and Brian Higgins (D) are cosponsors of the bill.
The Great Lakes Navigation System Sustainability Act would take all the individually authorized commercial and recreational navigation projects in the Great Lakes and recognize them as a unified entity to ensure adequate funding. The legislation would also create a program to help reduce the harbor maintenance backlog.
“Our Great Lakes harbors and supporting waterways create and sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the entire region and the commerce carried on the Great Lakes contributes greatly to the entire nation’s economy,” Miller said. “Throughout my career in public service, I have recognized the important role the Great Lakes play in our economy and have advocated and worked to improve our harbors and waterways’ infrastructure on the Great Lakes.”
The proposed legislation uses existing funds from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to establish a cost-share program.
The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund was established in 1986 to fund the operation and maintenance of ports and harbors, including dredging, dredged material disposal areas, jetties and breakwaters.
The trust receives money from the Harbor Maintenance Tax that had approximately $7 billion at the end of fiscal year 2012 and continues to grow by hundreds of millions of dollars each year.