SNOWE, COLLINS HAIL INCLUSION OF MAINE PROJECTS IN WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) praised the inclusion of 4 New England Corps of Engineer Maine waterway projects in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) passed by the Senate today.  These projects stem from legislation Senators Snowe and Collins introduced last year to deauthorize the Federal Navigation Channels (FNC) of Tenants Harbor, St. George; Northeast Harbor, Mt. Desert; Union River, Ellsworth; and Camp Ellis.  These projects were supported by the New England Corps of Engineers.               “The harbors and rivers that form the center of many Maine cities and towns can be used as engines for economic development,” Senators Snowe and Collins said.  “The projects included in this bill will support community efforts to revitalize harbor areas and increase the recreational and commercial mooring capacity of local rivers and harbors, and I am pleased they have been included in the WRDA.”   The Water Resources and Development Act includes the following projects:               Camp Ellis, Maine - 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 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.                         “We must ensure that Camp Ellis receives the resources it needs to save the shoreline and beachfront homes from further destruction.  We must take into account that the problem was caused by the federal government and the Army Corps through the construction of a jetty that has caused devastating erosional impacts to the shoreline.  Camp Ellis has waited far too long and seen far too many homes lost for this problem to continue unaddressed,” said Senators Snowe and Collins.               Tenants Harbor, St. George, Maine - Deauthorizing the Federal Navigation Channel would enable the town to maximize the Harbor’s mooring area.                Northeast Harbor in Mt. Desert, Maine - Allows for more recreational moorages and commercial activities and serves as an economic boost to Northeast Harbor, which is surrounded by Acadia National Park.  The removal of the harbor from the FNC will allow the town to respond to the high demand for moorings and allow residents to obtain moorings in a more timely manner.                Union River in Ellsworth, Maine - Supports the City of Ellsworth’s efforts to revitalize the Union River navigation channel, harbor, and shoreline.  The modification will redesignate a portion of the Union River as an anchorage area and 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.