NCGA Urges Members to Push for Final Passage of WRDA
(11-09-04)
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today urged its members
to contact their legislators and re-emphasize the importance of
passing the 2004 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which
would authorize the construction of seven new navigation locks
on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Failure to pass WRDA
could have dire consequences, NCGA CEO Rick Tolman said.
“We’ve been pushing for lock modernization for more
than 14 years and we are finally close to new locks becoming a
reality,” Tolman said. “Now our members need to ensure
their elected officials understand the importance of closing the
deal. The time to pass WRDA is now.”
If passed, the legislation will authorize construction of seven
new 1,200-foot locks and implementation of small-scale measures,
while also establishing a comprehensive ecosystem restoration program
for the Mississippi River basin.
“Construction of new locks would not only benefit farmers
and others who rely on the river system to transport their products,
but it would also bring an estimated 48 million man-hours of construction
work to the Midwest,” Tolman said.
While attending a Midwest Area River Coalition (MARC 2000) meeting
in St. Louis last week, Tolman noted supporters of WRDA are more
optimistic about its passage before Congress adjourns for the end
of the year.
“We are all still very optimistic that we will see a WRDA
passed this year,” said, who serves as chairman of MARC 2000. “Our
chances have increased tremendously to see this action during the
upcoming lame-duck session which starts Nov. 16.”
NCGA and MARC 2000 are urging Congress not to give up the battle
to modernize the river systems and expand the river export trade,
even amid the efforts to keep the agenda of the lame duck session
on only fiscal 2005 spending debates. The meeting also focused
on the appropriations process and addressing backlogs for existing
operations and maintenance issues.
“There has been significant movement made on this legislation,
but if Congress does not pass this bill this year, the nation’s
farmers and thousands of others who count on our river system to
ship and receive their goods will suffer,” said Tolman.
To access the
Legislative Action Center and send a letter on the importance
of WRDA to
your senators and representatives, click
here.