    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [August 13, 2004]
    [Pages 1636-1638]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Columbia River Channel Deepening Project in Portland,
    Oregon
    August 13, 2004

        Thank you all very much. Please be seated. Thanks for coming. Thanks
    for having me. Laura and I are thrilled to be
    here. You know, Steve, when you and I spent all
    that time in the library in college--[laughter]--never did you think
    you'd be introducing a President. Never did you think it would be me.
    [Laughter] I'm proud to be with my old classmate, and I'm proud to be
    here to talk about a really important project for this part of the
    world. I want to thank you for your stewardship, Steve, and thanks for
    introducing me.
        Today we're going to take an important new step to enhance the
    vitality of this river and thereby expand opportunities for the people
    of the Pacific Northwest. Today I'm announcing that we'll soon begin
    deepening 104 miles of the Columbia River Channel from the mouth of the
    river on the Pacific to Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.
        By deepening the channel of this river from 40 to 43 feet, we will
    create new export opportunities at Columbia River ports; we'll help our
    farmers and ranchers; we'll help our manufacturers remain competitive;
    we'll protect and restore jobs--really good paying jobs--and we'll help
    conserve and restore the river ecosystem. This is a vital project. I'm
    submitting a $15 million budget amendment to fund the beginning stages
    of the Columbia River Deepening Project. What I'm telling you is we're
    committed to keeping the Columbia River open for navigation and trade,
    and we're committed to keeping America's great ports open for business.
        I thank my friend Gordon Smith for his
    leadership on this important project. I want to thank Senator Patty
    Murray from the State of Washington for joining
    us and for working on this project as well. This project needs
    bipartisan cooperation, and I want to thank the
    Senators from both parties for joining us. I
    appreciate Congressman Greg Walden being here as
    well. And I want to thank my friend George Nethercutt, Congressman from the State of Washington, for
    joining us as well.
        I appreciate the speaker being here. And
    somebody told me that former Senator Mark Hatfield is with us today. Senator, how are you? It's great to see
    you. You're looking great. Mrs. Hatfield, how are you? I'll tell Mother,
    Antoinette, you're looking good.
    [Laughter] So is she. [Laughter]
        I appreciate J.P. Woodley. He's the
    Assistant Secretary of Army, the commander and division engineer for
    this project. I want to thank Brigadier General Don Riley. He's the director of the civil works of the U.S. Army
    Corps of Engineers.
        I appreciate Bob Lohn. It's good to see Bob
    again. Last time I saw Bob, we were talking about salmon restoration. I
    appreciate you being here. Dave Wesley is
    the

    [[Page 1637]]

    Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service--David Wesley is
    the Deputy Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
        Listen, this is a project that requires all aspects of government
    working together to make sure this happens. I'm not the kind of guy that
    likes to stand up and say, ``This is going to happen,'' and it doesn't
    happen. I'm the kind of person who says, ``When it's going to happen, it
    is going to happen.'' And that's why these Government officials are
    here, to hear it clearly from the President, we expect this to go
    forward.
        I appreciate the representatives from organized labor who are here.
    Thank you for coming. Thank you for lending your voice in this important
    project. I want to thank the Port of Portland. I want to thank the
    farmers and ranchers who are here. I appreciate what you're doing to
    feed our country and to help the hungry around the world as well.
        Ever since President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on their
    expedition to the West, the Federal Government has recognized the
    importance of the Columbia River. This is one of America's vital
    waterways. It is a key artery of commerce for the Pacific Northwest. I
    say ``key'' artery of commerce--that means it's a key for jobs. We want
    people working. When we say ``artery of commerce,'' that means it's a
    key for job creation, a chance for people to make a living when this
    river functions to its maximum potential.
        Growers and manufacturers from Oregon and Washington to the Midwest
    count on the Columbia's deep-draft shipping channel to get their
    products to the Pacific and then to overseas markets. Last year, more
    than $15 billion worth of cargo traveled through the Columbia River
    ports, including more wheat than America shipped on any other river. If
    you're a wheat farmer, that's good news. If you're somebody who relies
    upon wheat to sustain your life, that's also good news.
        In all, more than 1,000 businesses, some 40,000 good-paying Pacific
    Northwest jobs depend on Columbia River shipping. That's why this
    project is so vital.
        Columbia River ports have become some of the busiest on the west
    coast, but in recent years, a problem has started to emerge. It seems
    like to me those of us in government ought to see problems and figure
    out how to solve them early, before it becomes too late. That's really
    what we're here talking about, isn't it. The cargo ships that carry
    crops and other Pacific Northwest products across the Pacific are larger
    than they used to be, and they depend on deeper navigation waters.
        In 1970, the average cargo ship's draft was 25 to 30 feet. Today,
    it's from 41 to 45 feet. Yet the depth of this river behind me has
    stayed the same, at 40 feet. That's the problem: It's not deep enough to
    handle the new ships. And so some shippers are now diverting ocean
    traffic away from Portland and toward other ports. Because this river is
    too shallow, the Port of Portland is at a competitive disadvantage.
    Ultimately, that will hurt the ability for people to find work.
        With fewer ships coming into the Columbia River ports, farmers and
    growers are forced to pay higher transportation costs. That will affect
    our farm economy. And the solution is clear: If you want more vibrant
    trade, if you want more navigable rivers, if you want busier ports, we
    need to deepen this channel. We need to make it deeper. And so that's
    what we're going to do. The engineering work is already underway, and
    they'll start moving mud next year.
        Deepening the channel by three feet might not sound like a big
    change to some folks, but the people here know what it means. The people
    who are the experts understand what that extra three feet means for this
    mighty river. See, cargo ships will be able to load 300 more containers
    than they can now. If they're shipping grain, they'll be able to carry
    an extra

    [[Page 1638]]

    6,000 tons. And that's good news for farmers.
        By working together to deepen the Columbia River Channel, we're
    helping to save manufacturers and growers an estimated $68 million a
    year on the cost of shipping containerized cargo. That helps a lot when
    you're competing in a global market, especially if you're an individual
    rancher, small-business owner, owner of your own farm.
        The steps I'm announcing today also fulfill our responsibility to be
    good stewards of the land and water. The environmental review of this
    project included active participation by interested parties and the
    public. Through the collaborative process, they come up with the
    solution. It included a thorough analysis by environmental agencies, and
    they ruled the dredging safe for the river's ecosystem.
        The Army Corps of Engineers will carry out their work under strict
    environmental guidelines and monitoring. In fact, this project includes
    restoration and conservation measures that go beyond the requirements of
    the law. We're installing new technology in the lower Columbia River to
    help salmon and steelhead pass through the tide gates. We'll restore and
    protect wildlife habitats in tidal marshes, swamps, and other wetlands.
    We're seeking out good uses for the sand dredged from the bottom of the
    river. All of these efforts will help us meet a great goal, to leave the
    Columbia River ecosystem in better shape than we found it. I'm confident
    we can achieve that goal.
        The Columbia River Channel Deepening Project is a wise use of
    taxpayers' money. It fosters an ethic of cooperation between Washington,
    DC, and State and local governments. It brings together business leaders
    and labor representatives, farmers, ranchers, and conservationists and
    politicians on both sides of the aisle. The project fulfills the
    Government's charge to create the conditions for economic expansion and
    job growth by respecting our duties to the environment.
        I'm proud that we're able to move forward with this project after
    years of review. I urge the United States Congress to act quickly on my
    budget request.
        On many other issues, from reducing the risk of catastrophic
    wildfire to keeping hydropower energy rates as low as possible to
    conserving our precious salmon, my administration is working with
    Pacific Northwest leaders to meet our shared priorities. I look forward
    to working with you in the future to sustain the physical and economic
    vitality of this beautiful part of America.
        Thank you all for coming. May God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:15 a.m. at Rivergate Industrial Park. In
    his remarks, he referred to Steve Corey, commissioner, Port of Portland;
    Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives Karen Minnis; and Bob
    Lohn, Regional Administrator, Northwest Regional Office, National Marine
    Fisheries Service.