Federal funds are going to continue to flow for another year of St. Joseph Harbor dredging. That’s word from Congressman Bill Huizenga’s office. Huizenga took over representing St. Joseph from longtime congressman Fred Upton.
Just over a million dollars in Army Corps of Engineers money will be made available for dredging of the St. Joseph Inner Harbor, according to Huizenga’s office. Add to that another $560,000 of COE funding for repair work on the North Pier of the St. Joseph River.
There’d been some speculation among local business and political observers that taking Fred Upton out of the dredging equation might make obtaining the annual federal funding more difficult. In Year One, at least, that appears not to be the case, based on this relatively early announcement on the annual maintenance dredging needed to keep the local harbor operating smoothly.
Here are comments from Huizenga and others involved in securing the funding for dredging:
“St. Joseph Harbor is a source of significant economic activity for Southwest Michigan,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “This funding will help ensure that St. Joseph Harbor is properly dredged which will allow critical projects, including scheduled work on I-94, to be completed as well as support the Lakeshore’s vibrant small business economy during tourist season. I want to thank the Army Corps of Engineers for continuing their productive relationship to ensure priorities along the Great Lakes are met.”
“As St. Joseph Harbormaster, I am very pleased to hear about this additional funding for our harbor. Maintaining the harbor for commercial shipping is vital to the economy, not just in Berrien County, but all over the region for various construction and paving projects,” said Mike Moran, St. Joseph Harbormaster “We want to thank Congressman Huizenga’s office for his support as well as the Corps of Engineers for their continued efforts to maintain this vital shipping channel.”
“On behalf of the many stakeholders who are dependent upon the free-flowing operation of the St. Joseph Harbor, we would like to express our appreciation and sincere gratitude for the herculean efforts taken thus far to secure the necessary funds and to advance the dredging schedule,” said Keith Rose, President and CEO of Rieth-Riley Construction Co. Inc. “In all the years that we have dealt with the challenges that the harbor and mother nature bring, this recent effort is by far the most proactive and collaborative effort that we have experienced. We would like to extend special thanks to Congressman Huizenga and his staff for their understanding and appreciation of the nature of the current challenge. In particular, their sense of urgency as it relates to the specific impacts to all stakeholders especially the taxpayers of Michigan.”
“The County of Berrien is delighted to learn that additional harbor maintenance funding has been allocated to the US Corp of Engineers this year to assist with the maintenance dredging of the St. Joe Harbor,” said Daniel Fette, Berrien County Community Development Director. “This additional funding will ensure that anticipated shipments of nearly 600,000 tons of material will be received within the St. Joe Harbor this year. The delivery of this material is critical to the completion of many construction projects across Southwest Michigan, including the I-94 corridor project in Berrien County.”
