March 14, 2016

The Honorable Hal Rogers The Honorable Chairman Ranking Member House Committee on Appropriations House Committee on Appropriations H-305, U.S. Capitol 1016 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 c/o Dale Oak c/o Leslie Turner

The Honorable The Honorable Chairman Ranking Member Subcommittee on Energy & Water Subcommittee on Energy & Water Development Development House Committee on Appropriations House Committee on Appropriations 2362-B Rayburn House Office Building 1016 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 c/o Angie Giancarlo c/o Taunja Berquam

Chairmen Rogers and Simpson and Ranking Members Lowey and Kaptur:

The undersigned navigation stakeholders request that you provide the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) navigation program funding of $2.8 billion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. We appreciate your efforts to increase USACE navigation program funding in your annual Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies (E&W) Appropriations legislation.

Fiscal Year 2016 was a landmark year for USACE navigation program funding. Congress ‘Hit the HMT Target,’ fully used the Inland Waterway Trust Fund revenues and provided initial funding for Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) donor and energy transfer ports.

Our $2.8 billion request is an increase of $185 million above the FY 2016 Omnibus appropriated amount. This level of funding will:

 Fund HMT work at $1.28 billion, continuing annual funding increases towards the goal of full use of HMT revenues for navigation channel maintenance;  Fully use increased IWTF revenues on lock construction and major rehabilitations;  Fund WRRDA-authorized navigation channel improvement projects;  Increase inland navigation operations and maintenance funding to implement Capital Project Business Model risk based navigation lock maintenance;  Enable existing USACE navigation planning studies to achieve the three-year completion schedule authorized in WRRDA 2014 and begin new navigation studies; and  Fund HMT donor and energy transfer ports’ work authorized in WRRDA 2014 Section 2106.

We appreciate your leadership in recognizing the nexus between water resources development and economic prosperity. Last year’s west coast freight movement disruption vividly shows the adverse economic impacts that can occur when efficient movement and handling of maritime 2 Stakeholders Letter to House Appropriators re USACE Navigation Program Funding cargo is lost. We must maintain our navigation channels and inland waterways for safe and efficient freight movement to avoid similar impacts nationwide over the long term.

Federal investments in navigation-related infrastructure are an essential and effective utilization of limited resources, paying dividends through increased trade and international competitive- ness, sustainable job creation and more than $200 billion annually in federal, state and local tax revenues. We would like to work with you and members of the Subcommittee and full Committee to include $2.8 billion for USACE navigation in the FY 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill that will provide a robust navigation construction program, increased navigation channel availability and navigation lock reliability, along with timely completion of navigation studies to achieve safe and efficient 21st century freight movement.

Sincerely,

Admiral Security Services, Inc. Channel Design Group AEP River Operations Channel Shipyard Companies American Association of Port Authorities CHS Terminal American Commercial Lines Consolidated Terminals and Logistics Co. American Great Lakes Ports Association Cooper Consolidated Stevedoring & Marine American Petroleum Institute Services American Road and Transportation Builders Cooper T. Smith Mooring, Co. Association Cooper T. Smith Stevedoring American Waterways Operators Crescent River Port Pilots Association Archer Daniels Midland Crescent Towing Arkansas Oklahoma Port Operators Dredging Contractors of America Associations Duffy Maritime Consultants, LLC Arkansas Waterways Commission Emerald International Corporation Associated Branch Pilots of the Port of New Exxon Mobil Refining & Supply Company Orleans (Bar Pilots) Fillette Green Shipping Services (USA) Associated Federal Pilots and Docking Corp. Masters of Louisiana Five Rivers Distribution Associated Terminals, LLC Foresight Energy, LLC Association of Ship Brokers & Agents GAC Shipping (USA) Inc. (USA), Inc. General Maritime Transportation Services, Belle Chasse Marine Transport, Inc. Inc. Bertel Shipping Company General Steamship Corp., Ltd. Biehl & Co., Inc. Greater New Orleans, Inc. Big River Coalition Gulf Harbor Shipping, LLC Bisso Towboat Co., Inc. Gulf Inland Marine Services, Inc. Blue Marine Security Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association Blue Water Shipping Company Gulf Ports Association of the Americas Bunge Limited Hickman-Fulton County Riverport Authority, California Marine Affairs and Navigation Inc. Conference Impala Warehousing (US) LLC Capes Southport Agencies Imtech Marine USA Inc. Celtic International Shipping Agency, LLC. Inchcape Shipping Services CGB Enterprises, Inc. Ingram Barge Company Stakeholders Letter to House Appropriators re USACE Navigation Program Funding 3

Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals, Inc. Port of Little Rock International Freight Forwarders and Port of Memphis Customs Brokers Association of New Port of Muskogee Orleans Port of New Orleans International Marine Terminals Port of Pittsburgh J.W. Allen & Co., Inc. Port of Plaquemines Harbor & Terminal Jantran, Inc. District Johnston’s Port 33, Inc. Port of South Louisiana K&C Shipping, Inc. Port Ship Service, Inc. Lake Carriers Association Ports America Louisiana, LLC Lott Ship Agency, Inc. Ports Association of Louisiana Louisiana Maritime Association Propeller Club of the Port of New Orleans Louisiana Maritime International Chamber Radio Holland USA of Commerce Raven Energy LLC of Louisiana Louisiana River Pilots Association Realize America’s Maritime Promise Marathon Petroleum Company LP Resolve Marine Group Maritime & Commodity Services, LLC Riley-Sherman Shipping Agency, Inc. Maritime Endeavors Shipping Co., Ltd. Russell Marine Group MaRyan Mining, LLC Seagull Marine, Inc. Mid-Gulf Shipping Company, Inc. Southern Trade Association Mississippi Valley Trade and Transport Southport Agencies, Inc. Council Soy Transportation Coalition Moran Towing Corporation St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District Moran-Gulf Shipping Agencies, Inc. Stolt Tankers & Terminals Naftilos Shipping Agencies Summit Marine Services, LLC Natchez Port Authority T. Parker Host, Inc. National Association of Maritime Trafigura Organizations Transmarine Navigation Corporation National Association of Waterfront Tricon Steamship Agency, Inc. Employers Trinity Shipping, Inc. New Orleans – Baton Rouge Steamship Turn Services Pilots Association U.S. Great Lakes Shipping Association New Orleans Private Patrol Service, Inc. United States Maritime Alliance New York Shipping Association Venice Port Complex Newship (USA), Inc. Warren Country Port Commission Nord-Sud Shipping, Inc. Waterways Association of Pittsburgh Norton Lilly International Waterways Council, Inc. Offshore Marine Group LLC Weber Marine, Inc. Pacific Gulf Marine Wilhelmsen Ships Service Pacific Northwest Waterways Association World Trade Center Mississippi River Page & Jones, Inc. Alliance Plaquemines Association of Business and World Trade Center of New Orleans Industry ZEN-NOH Grain Corporation Port of Greater Baton Rouge