WRDA 16 Gaining Traction
Both the Senate Environment and Public Works and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committees are moving ahead with their plans to pass water resources legislation this year.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing on February 10th entitled “The Importance of Enacting a New Water Resources Development Act.” Bob Portiss, Chairman of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and a 5-time Chairman of the National Waterways Conference was a witness. Additional information can be found here: http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=F8A0C8CC-D434-4CE1-B135-FE27586D25B6 
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment is scheduled to hold a hearing on February 24th entitled “A Review of United States Army Corps of Engineers Reports to Congress on Future Water Resources Development and Chief’s Reports.”
The Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee held a roundtable discussion with industry stakeholders on February 2nd to consider priorities for a Water Resources Development Act in 2016. NWC President Amy Larson participated in the event, attended by more than a dozen lawmakers. Larson urged the Committee to ensure that Section 7001 of WRRDA 14 works as intended. That process provides non-federal stakeholders the opportunity to identify water resources problems and offer possible solutions to those problems, laying the foundation for Congress as it sets priorities and policies for WRDA. NWC’s WRDA 2016 Fact Sheet can be accessed here: WRDA 2016
The Administration released the 2016 Section 7001 Annual Report, and it can be viewed here:
NWC also recently hosted a “WRDA 101” briefing with staff of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The standing-room only crowd heard from Let Mon Lee, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Legislation, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), who provided an overview of the Corps’ project delivery process. Steve Martinko, now a Government Affairs Counselor at K&L Gates, shared his perspectives as the House T&I lead negotiator for WRRDA 14; and Mark Smith, Deputy Director of the North American freshwater program for The Nature Conservancy, discussed TNC’s role as a major non-federal sponsor of Corps projects and policy initiatives for the WRDAs in 2007 and 2014.