“Port Precision” – A routine communication to all Port Managers covering matters that impact Oregon’s public ports by way of Business Oregon
| Business Oregon Updates | |
| Federal Advocacy Services Contract | Business Oregon maintains a federal advocacy services contract on behalf of Oregon public ports. Under this contract, FBB Federal Relations has been advocating on behalf of ports in Washington, D.C. since 2008. Per state requirement, Business Oregon recently completed an RFP process for this contract. I am happy to share that FBB Federal Relations was selected for this contract in a competitive process. We look forward to continuing to work with Ray, Peter and the FBB team to support Oregon ports into the future. |
| Port Programs | More information about the Port Planning and Marketing Fund and the Oregon Port Revolving Fund can be found in the downloadable guides at the linked webpages. Contact your Regional Development Officer if you want to discuss a potential application for either program. |
| Intergovernmental Updates | |
| Coast Guard command center moves to Portland | The U.S. Coast Guard command center previously attached to Sector Columbia River in Warrenton has relocated to Portland. The command center, formerly at the Astoria Regional Airport, guides information and monitors and coordinates all operations within the sector. Along with the shift to Portland, the command center has also been consolidated with the center attached to a Coast Guard air station at North Bend. Legacy telephone numbers will remain in effect for three months. After this three-month period, new telephone numbers will be used to reach command center personnel, as well as other agency departments.
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| NOAA Fisheries Releases 2022 Status of Stocks | NOAA Fisheries has released the Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries. This response highlights successful management of U.S. fisheries and the broad economic impact of commercial and recreational fisheries on the U.S. economy.
The full report is available here. Key takeaways include:
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| Abandoned and Derelict Vessels | On April 11th, the State Land Board voted to create an Abandoned and Derelict Vessel (ADV) Program Workgroup to propose a comprehensive ADV program in Oregon, including identifying funding needs and potential sources.
Abandoned and derelict vessels seriously threaten waterway health and safety, creating both environmental and navigational hazards. For years, the Department of State Lands (DSL) has worked with state, federal, and local partners to remove hazardous vessels, but lack of a statewide ADV program with dedicated funding has resulted in the Common School Fund spending more than $18 million since 2017 to remove ADVs from public waterways, while hundreds more remain. The ADV Program Workgroup is directed to explore all elements of a statewide ADV program and provide a report to the State Land Board no later than April 2024. The report is to include a program framework addressing prevention, response, enforcement, education and outreach, and potential long-term funding needs and sources, as well as recommendations for legislative action in the 2025 Legislative Session. DSL Director Vicki Walker said the agency will convene the ADV Program Workgroup immediately, which is anticipated to include stakeholders with varying perspectives, interests, and expertise such as local governments, ports, marinas, waterway user groups, environmental organizations, vessel insurance, vessel salvage, and public safety, as well as relevant federal agencies, other coastal states, and Oregon state agencies. |
| Oregon Transportation Plan Update | ODOT’s draft Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP) is available for public review and comment through May 12th. The OTP sets the vision and informs investment decisions by ODOT and regional and local governments for all the ways people and goods move including walking, biking, public transit, highways, railroads, freight and more. The updated OTP will guide transportation investments for the whole state over the next 20+ years.
More information including the draft plan, a fact sheet and a recording of a recent webinar about the plan update are available here. Ways to Comment
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| Water Resources Development Act of 2024 | The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), typically considered by Congress every two years, is legislation that authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) civil works activities. WRDA provisions generally add to or amend existing USACE authorizations and provide policy direction to the agency.
We are starting to develop concepts for consideration for WRDA 2024. Please contact Ray Bucheger and myself if you have policy challenges that may be addressed through WRDA so we can discuss further. |
| Federal Appropriations Update | The FY24 appropriations process continues behind the scenes in Washington, DC. House Appropriations committees may release draft bills in June, with the Senate usually releasing draft bills later in the calendar year. Stay tuned for more updates. |
| Resources |
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| Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant Program | The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has opened applications for the first round of the PROTECT grant program. The program will invest in projects to make the country’s surface transportation system – including highways, public transportation, pedestrian facilities, ports, and intercity passenger rail – more resilient to the worsening impacts of climate change, while reducing long-term costs by minimizing demands for more expensive future maintenance and rebuilding.
The NOFO for FY22 and FY23 is available here. Applications are due August 18, 2023. |
| Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities (RTEPF) Grant Program | The Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities Grant Program will provide funding to test, evaluate and deploy projects that reduce port-related emissions from idling trucks, including through the advancement of port electrification and improvements in efficiency. The FY22 and FY23 funding available totals $160 million.
The NOFO is available here. Applications are due June 26, 2023. |
| Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program | The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI Program) is a new competitive grant program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) focused on deploying electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and other alternative fueling infrastructure projects in publicly accessible locations. This program provides two categories of grants: (1) Community Charging and Fueling Grants (Community Program); and (2) Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants (Corridor Program). The BIL provides $2.5 billion for this program over five years. The current NOFO offers up to $700 million from FY22 and FY23.
Special districts, including ports, are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. EST on May 30, 2023. More information and the NOFO can be found here. |
| FEMA Port Security Grant Program | In FY23, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is providing $100 million to promote sustainable, risk-based efforts to protect critical port infrastructure from acts of terrorism through the Port Security Grant Program. The FY23 program is focused on supporting increased maritime cybersecurity, port-wide maritime security risk management, enhancing maritime domain awareness, supporting maritime security training and exercises and maintaining or reestablishing maritime security mitigation protocols that support port recovery and resilience capabilities.
More information about the Port Security Grant Program and a link to the NOFO are available here. Applications are due May 18, 2023. |
| ODOT Carbon Reduction Program | The Carbon Reduction Program is a new federal program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will provide the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) $82 million over five years to fund projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. The funding is divided between urban Transportation management areas, ODOT statewide projects and small urban and rural areas.
This year $13 million is available under an ODOT-managed competitive grant program to small urban and rural projects. Eligible projects must reduce emissions from transportation and be in urban and rural areas of the state with populations fewer than 200,000. Examples of eligible projects include alternative fuel projects, including public EV charging, hydrogen, natural gas and propane fueling and zero-emission equipment and vehicle purchase; projects that reduce transportation emissions at port facilities, including EV infrastructure; and diesel engine retrofits. More information about the program and the application process is available here. The application window is open between February 28 and May 31, 2023. |
| Business Oregon Support | If your port is interested in applying for a federal grant opportunity, Business Oregon may be able to help! We would be happy to provide more background on the programs with current NOFOs, help you assess your readiness to submit an application, connect you to federal agency and/or Congressional staff who can provide additional assistance, provide a letter of support for your application, and more. |
| Oregon Public Ports Federal Coordinating Committee (OPPFCC) | |
| The OPPFCC met on April 27th. The discussion focused on the ongoing FY24 appropriations cycle. House Appropriations committees are expected to release draft bills in June, with Senate bills expected to be released later in the calendar year. The group also discussed the current EIS scoping process underway for FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) – Endangered Species Act (ESA) Integration Plan in Oregon.
More information about the NFIP-ESA Integration Plan can be found here. The deadline to submit public comment is Friday, May 5th. Here is a link to the Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Oregon where formal comments may be submitted. |
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| Oregon Public Ports Dredging Partnership (OPPDP) | |
| The OPPDP met on April 26th. The group reviewed and provided feedback on a “Dredge Permit Flowchart” as well as a draft survey that will be used to help populate the “Oregon Dredging Needs-Costs Summary” document that is in development. This purpose of this document is to capture dredging needs (local and federal channel) and associated costs across the statewide port system. USACE provided information about federal Procurement Administrative Lead Team (PALT) for the good of the group. | |
| Oregon Public Ports Training Program (OPPTP) | |
| In April, the Oregon Public Ports Training Program invited Patty Martin representing the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) to share information about climate resilience and adaptation opportunities for ports. OCVA has staff available to assist with climate infrastructure project needs as well as projects related to the Oregon Ocean Cluster Initiative. Please feel welcome to reach out to Patty for connections to these resources: patty@thepeoplescoast.com. | |
| Stories of Interest | |
| Cargo ship is the largest ever to dock at the Port of Portland | The container ship MSC Katie made its way up the Columbia River April 5th and became the largest ever container ship to dock at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 6. The ship is 1,200 feet long and has a maximum capacity of 12,400 TEU (meaning 12,400 stacked 20-foot shipping containers). The previous recordholder to sail up the Columbia River was the roughly 1,100-foot-long Navios United, which stopped at Terminal 6 last March. |
| Oregon Sea Grant’s Dungeness Crab Fishing Photo Series: A Captivating Look into the Bounty of the Sea | |
| Save the Date | |
| May 2023 | May 2nd – Oregon Ports Statewide Capital Facilities Plan, Listening Session #2
May 11th – Oregon Ports Statewide Capital Facilities Plan, Listening Session #3 May 12th – PNWA Webinar Series: Environmental, Education, and Community Engagement Opportunities for Maritime Stakeholders May 18th – PNWA Monthly Membership Meeting May 24th – Oregon Public Ports Dredging Partnership May 25th – Oregon Public Ports Training Program: Federal Legislative Update May 26th – Oregon Public Ports Federal Coordinating Committee May 29th – Memorial Day |
Save the Date!Oregon Infrastructure SummitOregon State University | Corvallis, Oregon | September 27-28, 2023Presented jointly by Business Oregon and the Northwest Environmental Business Council, this unique educational event connects property owners, developers, community leaders, regulators, financiers, and service providers to share the latest knowledge and best practices, develop business concepts, and foster partnerships. For more information about past Infrastructure Summit agendas, please visit https://theoregonsummit.com. |
