Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 10:57 pm Post subject: Symposium to Focus on Unity for Waterway, Beach Needs
Symposium to Focus on Unity for Waterway, Beach Needs Carteret News Times by Kathleen Bliley (7/29/05)
Worth Hager doesn’t get to come home often, but next month she’ll deliver a message that may well be at the heart of what organizers hope to accomplish with the inaugural East Coast Waterways & Beaches Symposium on August 12th in Pine Knoll Shores.
Growing up in Asheboro, Ms. Hager didn’t live near any significant waterways, but they have become her business, nevertheless, as president of the National Waterways Conference, Inc., an organization whose mission is to protect the federal funding that keeps the nation’s waterways viable.
The conference brings state, marine industry, recreational and environmental interests together to give waterways funding a bigger voice in Washington, D.C.
North Carolina interests recently united under the N.C. Beach, Inlet and Waterways Association, formerly known as the N.C. Shore & Beach Preservation Association, in order to cover a range of issues broader than those commonly addressed, such as shallow-draft inlet dredging maintenance. Funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-sponsored dredging has been hard to come by in North Carolina, but the state is not alone, Ms. Hager said Friday.
“North Carolina is so near and dear to me,†she said. I’m thrilled to see them stepping forward.â€Â
Just about every state has waterway issues that need the participation of the Corps, she said, listing Oregon, Alabama, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania as a handful.
“I get to bring everyone together and say, “Find your partner,†Ms Hager said. “The goal is mutual – that’s to make sure there’s enough funding for the Corps of Engineers.â€Â
Ms. Hager will expand on that theme when she speaks during the East Coast Waterways and Beaches Symposium on Friday, Aug. 12, at the Royal Pavillion Resort & Conference Center, Pine Knoll Shores.
Part of the Corps’ budget problems come in when waterways are value only on the basis of commercial traffic, according to Ms. Hager, when, in reality, they bring a financial return based on other factors, as well, such as recreational boating and hydropower.
Alabama, for instance, needs about $5 million to dredge waterways deemed “low use,†Ms. Hager said, but those waterways generate $11 million in hydropower revenue. “It’s been penny wise and pound foolish,†she said.
For Bogue Banks, the value of Beaufort and Bogue Inlets may come in the form of nourishment sand if the Corps develops a management plan using dredge spoils from navigation projects to build the island’s beaches.
The preservation of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is based on more than the bottom line, she said, pointing out that the Coast Guard may be going on more search and rescue missions because the Intracoastal Waterway isn’t safe.
Capt. Dean Lee, commander U.S. Coast Guard sector North Carolina, will follow Ms. Hager at the symposium with a talk about “navigation maintenance challenges, status and trends for the U.S. Coast Guard.â€Â
Other speakers include Tom Eager, chief executive officer of the N.C. Port Authority; Steve L. Stockton, deputy director of civil works for the Corps of Engineers; and Jeffrey Gabriel of the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
The goal of the symposium is to educate citizens about the challenges facing beach nourishment and waterway maintenance without getting overly technical, according to county shore protection manager Greg Rudolph. “This is for the people,†he said Thursday.
The registration fee is $35 per person and forms can be accessed on line at http://www.protectthebeach.com or by contacting Total Package Events at (252) 354-9500, tpevents@earthlink.net.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
