[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3066-S3067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE:
  S. 857. A bill to redesignate the project for navigation, Saco River, 
Maine, as an anchorage area; to the Committee on Environment and Public 
Works.

[[Page S3067]]

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce a series of 
bills that are important to economic development along our long 
coastline. Most of these bills were either included in the Water 
Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2006 or has passed the Senate as a 
stand-alone bill. Unfortunately, much to my great disappointment, the 
larger Corps of Engineers reauthorization legislation did not see 
action before the Senate adjourned the 109th Congress. My hope is that 
all of these noncontroversial bills will be included in the WRDA 
legislation in the 110th Congress.
  Importantly, all of my bills are supported by the various townspeople 
and their officials, and State officials, who view these harbor 
deauthorizations and river improvements as engines for economic 
development. The bills also have the support of the New England 
District of the Corps of Engineers.
  The first bill pertains to Tenants Harbor, St. George, ME. 
Deauthorizing the Federal Navigation Channel (FNC) would be of great 
help to the town in appropriately managing the Harbor to maximize 
mooring areas. Over the years there have been mounting problems with 
the Army Corps of Engineers' mooring permit process as people seeking 
permits for moorings that have existed for 30 years continue to be 
notified that the mooring locations are prohibited because they fall 
within the federal navigational channel.
  My second bill concerns Northeast Harbor in Mt. Desert, ME. The 
language will not only allow for more recreational moorages and 
commercial activities, it will also be an economic boost to Northeast 
Harbor, which is surrounded by Acadia National Park, one of the 
Nation's most visited parks--both by land and by water. The removal of 
the harbor from the FNC will allow the town to adapt to the high demand 
for moorings and will allow residents to obtain moorings in a more 
timely manner. The Harbor has now reached capacity for both moorings 
and shoreline facilities and has a waiting list of over sixty people, 
along with commercial operators who have been waiting for years to 
obtain a mooring for their commercial vessels.
  My third bill addresses the Union River in Ellsworth, ME. The bill 
supports the city of Ellsworth's efforts to revitalize the Union River 
navigation channel, harbor, and shoreline. The modification called for 
in my legislation will redesignate a portion of the Union River as an 
anchorage area. This redesignation will allow for a greater number of 
moorings in the harbor without interfering with navigation and will 
further improve the City's revitalization efforts for the harbor area.
  My fourth bill, that passed the Senate as a stand-alone bill last 
year, will make the mooring of an historic windjammer fleet in Rockland 
Harbor a reality. Originally a strong fishing port, Rockland retains 
its rich marine heritage, and it is one of the fastest growing cities 
in the Mid-coast area. Like many of the port cities on the eastern 
seaboard, Rockland has been forced to confront an assortment of 
financial and environmental changes, but happily, the city has been 
able to respond to these challenges in positive and productive ways.
  The City of Rockland has hosted the Windjammer fleet since 1955, 
earning a well-deserved reputation as the Windjammer Capital of the 
World. Rockland's Windjammers are now National Historic Landmarks, and 
as such, are vitally important to both the city and the State. The 
image of The Victory Chimes, one of five vessels slated to be berthed 
at the new wharf and a vessel whose historical designation I supported, 
graces the Maine quarter. This beautiful fleet of windjammers 
symbolizes the great seagoing history of Maine as well as the sense of 
adventure that we have come to associate so closely with the American 
experience.
  Lermond Cove is perfectly situated in the Rockland Harbor to be the 
new and permanent home for these cherished vessels. The proposed 
Windjammer Wharf will also provide a safe harbor from storms, as it is 
tucked nicely near the Maine State Ferry and Department of Marine 
Resources piers.
  The State of Maine capitalizes on the visual impact of the 
Windjammers to promote tourism, working waterfronts and the natural 
beauty that distinguishes our landscape. Over $300,000 is spent yearly 
by the Maine Windjammer Association to advertise and promote these 
businesses. Deauthorizing that part of the Federal navigational channel 
will clearly trigger significant and unrealized economic benefits for 
the region, providing many beneficial dollars to the local area and the 
State of Maine. According to the Longwood study, which uses a 
multiplier of 1.5, the economic impact of this spending is 3.8 million 
dollars a year. Conservatively, the Windjammers spend over 2.5 million 
dollars a year in the state.
  I want to thank the New England Corps of Engineers for their help in 
drafting the language and working with the Maine Department of 
Transportation, which runs the ferry line, and also the Rockland city 
officials, the Rockland Port District, and the Captains of the 
Windjammer vessels--Mainers and business people with the vision and 
commitment needed to complete Windjammer Wharf and create a permanent 
home for this historic fleet of windjammers in Rockland Harbor.
  I am reintroducing my fifth bill for the Town of Rockport--this 
request came in after the Environment and Public Works Committee passed 
out the WRDA bill in the last Congress. It would deauthorize a part of 
the Federal Navigation Channel in Rockport Harbor. The town, located on 
the active Mid-Coast of Maine, has requested that Congress decommission 
a 35 foot by 275 foot area directly adjacent to the bulkhead at Marine 
Park. With this deauthorization, the Town will be able to install 
permanent pilings to secure a set of new municipal floats, which would 
replace the current temporary float system.
  My sixth bill for reintroduction today is a bill for the City of 
Saco, Maine that concerns the town's ability to allow the mooring of 
boats on the Saco River. The bill changes the turning basin into an 
anchorage while managing a 50-foot channel within the anchorage. The 
town was not aware that it was in violation because of 21 moorings 
located in the Saco River Federal Navigational Project. In an effort to 
eliminate this encroachment, city officials have requested a 
modification or de-authorization of the Federal Navigational Project to 
resolve the issue.
  The US Army Corps of Engineers suggested language that re-designates 
the maneuvering basin into an anchorage area that will meet the needs 
of the community. The language will allow for the legal moorage of 
boats, the fairway for which would be maintained by the city of Saco as 
is customary for towns with Federal anchorages. The two mayors of the 
cities involved along with the Saco Yacht Club have agreed to the 
Corps' language.
  It is my hope that all of these non-controversial provisions will be 
included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 and I am 
writing Senator Boxer, the new Chairwoman of the EPW Committee 
requesting inclusion of my bills in the upcoming WRDA bill. I am 
pleased to hear that she is also anxious for the WRDA bill to move 
forward just as quickly as possible. It has been six long years since 
our last WRDA bill was signed into law--much too long even for the 
patient people in Maine who want to urgently move forward on economic 
development for their coastal communities.
  Also, I am pleased to be cosponsoring a bill with Senator Collins 
that addresses the project for the mitigation of shore damage at Camp 
Ellis, ME. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out 
the project, under the River and Harbor Act of 1968, to mitigate shore 
damage attributable to the Saco River navigational project, waiving the 
funding cap requirement for congressional authorization set forth in 
that Act. The legislation is needed to complete the project as it will 
cost more than authorized under current law, and is the preferred 
project by non-Federal interests.
  Studies have shown that the Army Corps jetty, built over 100 years 
ago, has contributed to beach erosion and the loss of more than thirty 
houses to the sea. The houses in danger currently were once six rows 
back from the water. When the mitigation project is completed, it is 
hoped that it will protect the residents, households, and businesses 
along the shoreline adjacent to the Army Corps jetty in Saco.
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