Allegheny River Development Corporation
Upper Monongahela River
Association
PO Box 364
PO Box 519
Kittanning, PA 16201-0364
Granville, WV 26534-0519
TO: Chairs Boxer and Shuster and Ranking Members
Vitter and Rahall
Honorable Members of the House-Senate Conference Committee
WRDA Bill 2013
Greetings:
By way of introduction, we are the Presidents of the above named
Non-Profit Organizations and are seeking to place a simple, but
dynamic, Proposal for a Demonstration Project before you.
While our Boards of Directors are all volunteer, it is our desire to
let you know of our deep commitment to our Proposed Demonstration
Project.
We applaud Congress on the decisive votes that passed this important
legislation. We commend the bi-partisan efforts that have
brought us to today. We have studied this legislation well and
are most heartened by several small, but vital paragraphs, which
offer hope to our individual organizations for renewed
socio-economic opportunities for our region and our beloved
rivers. We believe that the timing is perfect for this Joint
Conference Committee to designate two “shovel-ready” organizations,
the ability to simply accomplish vital goals. Without thought to
party affiliations or political gain, this Joint Conference
Committee can provide, through us, a meaningful template for many
other organizations and their communities across the United States,
a way to regain grass roots economic strength and growth through
Contributed Funds projects.
Simply stated, through reductions in commercial lockages on the
Upper Allegheny and Upper Monongahela Rivers, we have experienced
the closure of 6 locks - 4 on the Upper Allegheny and 2 on the Upper
Mon over the past 2 years. The economic impact of these
closures are evident in lost revenues and unemployment, to name just
two. Our groups propose to provide, through the Demonstration
Project, the part-time, seasonal operation of these locks with the
purpose of improving the socio-economic climate of our respective
areas. Both groups have been working with the US Army Corps of
Engineers - Pittsburgh District (USACE) for well over a year,
attempting to find a workable solution for our situation. We
believe the most viable alternative lies in your hands.
Allegheny River Development Corporation (ARDC) and Upper Monongahela
River Association (UMRA) believe that were Congress to designate
both organizations to a Demonstration Project and direct that USACE
work with us, as they have been, we can be ready for lock operations
in the spring of 2014.
We respectfully request that you accept our proposal and permit this
project to move forward. It will be the single most important step
for our communities and the region in regaining what was lost and
allowing us to build for the future.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Linda B. Hemmes
Barry Pallay
President, ARDC
President, UMRA
Proposal
Submitted to House and Senate Joint Conference Committee
WDRA Legislation
December 1, 2013
By
Allegheny River Development Corporation – a Non-Profit Entity
PO Box 364, Kittanning, PA 16201-0364
And
Upper Monongahela River Association – A Non-Profit Entity
PO Box 519, Granville WV 26534-0519
Demonstration Project Proposal
Contributed Funds Operation of
IMTS Level 6 Locks on the
Upper Allegheny River, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
And
Upper Monongahela River, Monongalia County, West Virginia
HISTORY
Allegheny River Development Corporation was begun in 1956 by area
businessmen as a method to develop the water front in Kittanning,
Pennsylvania. In 1985, the organization’s purpose was expanded
to encompass the areas along the Allegheny River and her
tributaries, and was responsible for the creation of Kittanning
Riverfront Park and John Murtha Amphitheater. As the river
usage gradually moved from coal, limestone and commercial transport;
in its place we saw the growth of recreational boating and a strong
development in tourism in the Armstrong County, ultimately making
tourism the largest employer in the County.
The Upper Mon River Association (UMRA) organized in February 2000
following news in 1999 that operations for locks on the upper Mon in
West Virginia would be curtailed beyond the cuts made in 1985.
Those cuts adversely affected the prolific recreational boating
between Morgantown and Fairmont through upper Monongahela River
locks at Morgantown, Hildebrand, and, Opekiska.
UMRA contacted those on the upper Allegheny in Pennsylvania who were
facing the same issues.
Beginning in 2002, both UMRA and the precursor to ARDC, organized
community support and began contacting our congressional
delegations. Background information of these efforts can be
located by visiting “Lock Hours” in the Menu at UpperMon.org.
The efforts of this coalition led the Pittsburgh District of the US
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to form Corps of Engineers and River
Recreational Users Summit (CERRUS). CERRUS, which meets in the
spring and fall worked to establish reasonable recreational boating
access on the upper reaches of both rivers, until the past two
years, when due to commerce decline and funding problems, the
Pittsburgh District began closing locks.
While the Pittsburgh District, in 2013, did grant some minimum lock
access on both rivers, for bass fishing tournaments and regional
events, the demand for recreational boating on the upper reaches of
both rivers goes far beyond this minimal access.
CURRENT ENVIRONMENT
As lock operations on the Upper Allegheny and Upper Monongahela
River are determined by the level of commercial tonnage as
calculated on a three year rolling average, closures were inevitable
on the upper reaches of each river. Unfortunately, the
closures created quite a difficult “trickle down” effect for
recreational boaters, land owners, stakeholders and businesses that
had significant dependence on recreational traffic. The impact
has been felt on different fronts on the two rivers - for the Upper
Monongahela, it has been the Bass tournaments and the economic
influence on numerous businesses and tourism. The Upper
Allegheny has experienced a more far reaching effect - builders and
developers saw a reduction in land values adjacent to the river, and
businesses reliant on recreational boaters saw upwards of a 25 to
30% drop in business as the recreational traffic dwindled to those
boaters contained in each individual “pond” - created by lock
closures.
ARDC & UMRA COMMITMENT
While each organization - ARDC & UMRA have divergent purposes –
the common goal is the need to see the locks on our respective
rivers reopened. For the Upper Allegheny, Locks 8 & 9 have
been closed since 2011 and Locks 6 & 7 closed in 2012. The
Hildebrand and Opekiska locks on the Upper Monongahela River closed
in 2012. Each non-profit organization or their predecessor
groups, in evolving forms, have been working for more conducive lock
hours for at least a decade. Now our purpose has been
redirected to reopening these locks to previous levels of
operation. We are fully committed to this task and are seeking
Congressional SUPPORT - NOT Congressional FUNDING - to move our
goals along in a timely manner so that we can establish the first
program of its kind in the country for operation IMTS LoS 6
locks. While we understand that the locks have not had
appropriate maintenance, we are also concerned that lack of regular
operation will result in the silting in of the lock chambers.
CONTRIBUTED FUNDS
Last year, both ARDC and UMRA submitted a proposal to USACE -
Pittsburgh District for each of our organizations to operate the
respective locks with personnel hired by each non-profit and trained
by USACE to operate the closed locks for recreational boat
lockage. Ultimately, it was determined that insuring such a
project was cost prohibitive. USACE - Pittsburgh District
suggested that both ARDC and UMRA consider Contributed Funds as the
preferred method for achieve lock operations for recreational
boating. As the recreational boating industry in our area
continues to grow, Contributed Funds is our preferred method by
which to achieve lock operations for recreational boating.
Certainly, Contributed Funds makes sense for both groups. The
concern is that such a project has never been done before and that
time is of the essence. ARDC is poised and ready to begin
fundraising within two weeks. UMRA, which does not have the
same financial base, must be able to determine the viability of the
support of various BASS groups to coordinate the basis for their
funding and will seek additional funding from the communities,
businesses and boaters most affected by the lock closures.
Even as we move through the early stages of the first Contributed
Funds project for lock operation in the country, we are finding that
attempting to negotiate contracts that are, for all intents and
purposes, our contracts, while still complying with USACE guidelines
that firmly places County Governments between us and our goal is a
difficult, cumbersome and time consuming process. The current
laws essentially requires both non-profits to be the “white elephant
in the room” in the initial processes for simply seeking permission
for County Government to negotiate with USACE. The idea of then
having County Government negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) with USACE on issues that truly lie by and between the
non-profits and USACE is completely nonsensical. It inserts an
entirely disinterested third party into contract negotiations and
ultimately does nothing more than add time, money, confusion and
frustration. The wording contained in the current 2013
WRDA/WRDDA legislation addresses all the ills and issues of the
current laws. The 2013 WRDA legislation would permit
intelligent, timely, and streamlined procedures and permits
negotiations by and between the proper parties to the proposed
Contributed Funds Projects.
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT SCOPE
It is the intent of both non-profit organizations to be prepared to
commence pre-planned fundraising projects as soon as the
Demonstration Project is approved. We are keenly aware of the
necessity for fundraising and have had our plans developed and are
ready to begin immediately. In essence “our race cars are
built, are sitting at the starting gate”. Both groups are
quite comfortable with the fundraising goals we have set and believe
that our individual numbers are reasonable and attainable.
The specifics of the Demonstration Project is as follows:
Allegheny River Development Corporation’s request is based on
initial funding offering amount of $150,000 for 58 predominately
weekend days of operation at four (4) locks, over a period of
approximately 6 months. Included in the 58 days are Memorial
Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day. We are also seeking a
Friday operation date in August for the immensely popular Armstrong
County Chamber of Commerce Boaters’ Poker Run, as well as 4
additional hours on each of 4 Saturday nights for Arts On The
Allegheny Concerts at John Murtha Amphitheatre. We anticipate
having 75% of the funding available by May 1, 2014. We are
requesting that we be billed via detailed monthly statements for
each lock and that said statements be broken down into 15 minute
intervals, as per normal USACE billing procedures. The
specifics of the Memorandum of Understanding will be negotiated by
and between USACE – Pittsburgh District and Allegheny River
Development Corporation and at that time the contract will be as
binding as the availability of funds permits. We anticipate
that this project will continue seasonally for the foreseeable
future.
The Upper Monongahela River Association has developed an initial
proposal for funding $40,000 for 28 days of operation at Opekiska
and Hildebrand locks on the Upper Monongahela River. We are
currently working with various BASS fishing associations to
determine specific dates and times. We are completely
committed to the Contributed Funds concept and anticipate continuing
seasonal operation for the foreseeable future.
We believe that both projects are fully and equally viable and note
that the major hurdles in the current Contributed Funds structure
require very difficult, burdensome time lines and requirements for
both organizations. We see the Demonstration Project as a simple,
clear cut method to validate the ease by which Contributed Fund
Projects can be implemented in a sensible, unencumbered way.
Certainly, we have appreciated the move by Congress to expedite
these types of programs and both ARDC and UMRA are “shovel-ready”
projects that are already poised at the starting gate. Rather
than asking that government take on this burden, our groups stand
ready to move forward to heal the economic hardships encountered by
our respective communities as a result of the lock closures.
SUMMARY
Allegheny River Development Corporation and the Upper Monongahela
River Association sincerely hope that the WRDA Conference Committee
sees fit to authorize the Demonstration Project that we have
outlined for the Upper Allegheny and Upper Monongahela Rivers.
We believe, in the current political and economic climate, that
carefully crafted and well-funded Contributed Funds projects, with
reasonable goals that are designed for the socio-economic good of
the communities from which the Projects emanate, should be able to
move forward in an efficient, streamlined manner.
Certainly, non-profit organizations, ARDC and UMRA have demonstrated
through their 57 and 12 year histories, respectively, that they are
in a position to move this concept forward and demonstrate this is a
viable solution for the many other communities across the country
that find themselves in like circumstances.
We recognize that when the Lock and Dam Systems in the Unites States
were established, and the operational guidelines created,
recreational boating, as we now know it, was essentially,
non-existent.
Today, the Pittsburgh region has 9,532 recreational boats, 107
boating-related businesses that generate 3,946 jobs. According
to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, annual boat
related spending in Pittsburgh is $211.1 million with a total annual
economic impact of recreational boating in Pittsburgh of $498.7
million. We want the opportunity to improve and enhance those
numbers. We want the ability to grow the recreational boating
industries in our respective areas and to provide additional tourism
and economic development throughout the region, while enjoying the
natural beauty that surrounds us.
We look forward to the opportunity and the challenge. With
your endorsement, we are absolutely confident of our ability to
succeed in this endeavor.
CONTACTS
Allegheny River Development Corporation Board of Directors
PO Box 364
Kittanning, PA 16201-0364
www.AlleghenyRiverDevelopment.org
Linda Hemmes - President
724-543-5760
Linda.Hemmes@msn.com or ARDC@AlleghenyRiverDevelopment.org
Mike Ferris - Vice-President
412-855-6012 - CaptMike41@aol.com
Joshua Starr - Treasurer
724-664-6848 - JCStarrFD@gmail.com
Marty Hemmes - Secretary
724-954-2930 - MartyHemmes@msn.com
Mark Devinney - Immediate Past President
724-355-6578 - MDevinney@NicholasInc.com
Christine McNutt
724-991-9658 - CMcNutt@zoominternet.net
Henry McNutt
724-355-6934 - HMcNutt@zoominternet.net
Scott Miller
724-525-0340 - ScottnSherrieMiller@yahoo.com
Chuck Nicely
724-543-5817 - Nice@windstream.net
Kristi Quinn
724-525-2486 - KQuinn695@comcast.net
Ken Ritchey
724-664-7437 - Kitt.Marina@gmail.com
Joshua Sasfai
724-747-1589 - RJBrownRiverTowing@gmail.com
Upper Monongahela River Association Board of Directors
PO Box 519
Granville WV 26534-0519
http://www.uppermon.org
Barry Pallay - President
304-599-2077 or 304-276-3792 - bpallay@comcast.net
Donald C. Strimbeck - Secretary & Treasurer
304-599-7585 (fax: 4131) - dcsoinks@comcast.net
Board Members
Wallace S. Venable - Chief Technical Officer
304-328-5128 or 304-599-9382. WVU office is 304-293-3111 ext
2341
Wallace.Venable@mail.wvu.edu
Betty L. Wiley - Dunkard Creek Watershed Association Liaison
304-292-3946 - betty.w304@gmail.com
G. Thomas Bartlett - US Coast Guard Liaison
304-265-0531 or 304-288-5421 - n3acx@verizon.net
David L. Weaver - Chief Engineer
304-377-6132 or 304-292-8145 (fax 8146) -david.weaver@aecom.com
Paul F. Ziemkiewicz, Ph.D. - Water Resources Officer
304-293-6958, (fax - 304-293-7822) - pziemkie@wvu.edu
William D. Wyant - Educational Coordinator
304-296-7463 - WilliamWyant@comcast.net
Martin A. Niverth - Conservation Officer & Pennsylvania Liaison
Officer
724-883-3785 - man4water@atlanticbb.net
Katharine Lee Avary - Geologic Resource Information Officer
304-288-0325 - avarygeo@gmail.com
Dave Cassell - Water Trails Facilitator
304-366-7248 or 304-282-8099 - mtbikewv@comcast.net