Good news!! On May 21, The House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee approved the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill that includes funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and waterway maintenance funding for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW). In summary, the House Appropriations Committee maintained the level of funding for each state as proposed in the Administration’s Budget and is looking to add money to the overall amounts through Additional Dredging Needs funding pots. The Administration’s budget and House bill includes the following:
Florida – $3.48 million
Georgia – $200,000
North Carolina – $2.155 million
South Carolina – $285,000
Virginia – $1.319 million
TOTAL  – $7.439 million 

In addition, the House added money to the Corps’ Operations and Maintenance Account for Additional Dredging Needs funding pots. Three of those funding pots are allocated for projects across the nation, and can be used to fund dredging of the AIWW. This year, the AIWA requested $60 million in each of the three funding pots (totaling 180 million) during our Congressional trips to Washington, and the following levels were approved in the House Appropriations Bill:
* Additional Dredging Needs: Navigation – $73.831 million in FY20, up from $23.9 million in FY19
* Additional Dredging Needs: Inland Waterways – $60 million in FY20, up from $40 million in FY19
* Additional Dredging Needs: Small, Remote and Subsistence Navigation – $90 million in FY20, up from $54 million in FY19
TOTAL – $223.831 Million, up from $117.9 million in FY19

This is a huge leap forward and we will continue to provide further information as the process moves through the House, Senate and on to the President. Once the final Energy & Water Appropriations bill is signed, the Corps will develop the FY20 work plan which will include specific projects and allocations for all Corps work and outline how the Additional Dredging funding pots will be spent. We are hopeful the AIWW will receive an additional $5-10 million from the funding pots over the Administration’s budget of $7.4 million. 

This year’s tour included over 20 presentations from agencies and organizations including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Inland Navigation District, local governments, marine industries, and many others. The AIWA provided a presentation on funding efforts in Washington, D.C. along with project updates occurring in other states along the waterway. This vital trip offers the AIWA active engagement alongside stakeholders and governmental organizations to further advocate on behalf of the entire Marine Highway 95 system.