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    • Sep 9, 2024by:   Larry Dorminy No Comments

      AIWA September 2024 Newsletter

      Cruisers Net is proud to be a member of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association whose lobbying work is crucial to keeping the Waterway navigable and safe. Your membership dollars directly support their vital work. Please join and encourage your boating neighbors to do likewise, regardless of their homeport.

       

      Join AIWA for the 25th Anniversary Annual Meeting
      November 18-20, 2024
      Charleston, SC

      We are one month closer to the AIWA’s 25th Anniversary Annual Meeting and are excited to share the first draft of the the program with our members by clicking here. In addition to confirmed speakers, we have extended invitations to leaders at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Maritime Administration, and NOAA to attend this year’s celebratory annual meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. The program topics will include:

      • Beneficial use of dredged material and natural infrastructure
      • Waterway closures and impacts to stakeholders and M-95
      • Dredging challenges and safety issues
      • Emerging technologies and solutions
      • and more! 

      We expect to finalize the agenda by mid-October. If there are topics you would like to see added to the 25th anniversary program, please contact us at aiwa@atlanticintracoastal.net.

      Registration is open. Sponsorships are available, beginning at $525, and includes one event registration. Registration information, sponsor opportunities, and hotel information can be found on our conference web page. https://atlanticintracoastal.org/annual-meeting-2024

       
      Congress returns from recess  
      FY2025 Appropriations Bills still on the table
      With Congress in recess for much of August, they return to Washington, DC with a full plate of appropriations bills before the end of the current fiscal year on September 30th. In lieu of passing individual appropriations bills, it is expected that the House and Senate will pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep funding the government at the same funding levels, but the big unknown is how long the CR will last. The gamble for each party is whether they believe they will be in a stronger negotiating position after the election.

      It is possible that Congress will pass a CR to be in effect until after January 1 so that the new Congress and new President will be able to implement their versions of the appropriations bills instead of the current Congress. The best outcome for the AIWW is for Congress to pass a short-term CR until after the election but prior to January 1 so that the current Congress can vote on the bills that they have been negotiating to date, instead of opening up the process again with the new Congress and President in 2025.

      Below is the current breakdown of funding as it stands today. In addition, the House and Senate have also included the following amounts in the Additional Dredging Needs funding pots which we are eligible to receive.

      • General Navigation – House: $931.945 million, Senate: $20 million
      • Inland Waterways – House: $50 million, Senate: $64.987 million
      • Small, Remote & Subsistence Navigation – House: $90 million, Senate: $329,178 million
      This month will require Congress to move forward and we will report those actions in the October newsletter.
       
      AIWA ‘On the Road’ in September
      Florida Inland Navigation District Meeting
      On September 5-6, AIWA Executive Director Brad Pickel was invited to participate in the Florida Inland Navigation District’s community outreach event and board meeting in Martin County, Florida. FIND is the local sponsor for the waterway in Florida and contributes funding for the dredging of the waterway and they manage and construct upland placement sites for the dredged material.

      With the recent appointment of six new FIND Commissioners, it was important for the AIWA to brief the new commissioners on our association and the roles that we have performed for the entire waterway system for the past 25 years. Our presentation was well received and we fielded numerous questions from the commissioners.

      In addition to our presentation, we were also able to hear an update on projects in Florida from Eduardo Marin of the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and recent research conducted by Taylor Engineering on shoaling of the waterway as FIND prepares to update their five-year management plan for the waterway. Below is a summary of their findings showing the volume of shoaling material in the waterway with the highest amounts occurring in the northern counties.

      FIND Executive Director Janet Zimmerman, and Michael Kennedy, Martin County Commissioner
       

      Call for Volunteer Reviewers for New Grant Program to Remove Abandoned Derelict Vessels (ADVs) Nationwide

      The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is seeking a diverse panel of volunteers who will serve as peer reviewers to evaluate proposals for Abandoned and Derelict Vessel (ADV) removal grants between December 2024 and July 2025.

      The Foundation has been awarded a four-year, $10 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program with funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up and improve safety along coastal areas by removing abandoned and damaged boats from our nation’s waterways and the Great Lakes. Reviewers will be part of this national effort to improve the environment and remove unsightly vessels from our waters.

      Volunteers with backgrounds in marine debris management, the boating industry, education, non-profits, government agencies, marketing and outreach, grant management, financial analysis, project evaluation, impact assessment, as well as legal or regulatory fields are encouraged to apply. Reviewers are asked to commit to at least one review cycle (2-3 months) with an expected time commitment of 25 hours per cycle that includes independent review of proposals and 4-8 hours of virtual meetings.

      Read the press release and learn more on the BoatUS website by clicking here. 

      Photo courtesy of BoatUS

       
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      Copyright © 2024. Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association. All rights reserved.

      The AIWA is a national non-profit organization with the mission of securing funding and support for the maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. We are the only organization dedicated to ensuring the future of the AIWW and proudly represent all stakeholders of the waterway. 

      Contact:
      Atlantic Instracoastal Waterway Association
      5a Market |  Beaufort, SC 29906
      (843) 379-1151 |  atlanticintracoastal.org

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