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Motion Expressing the Sense of Allegheny County Council by supporting Resolution No. 885 of the Pittsburgh City Council and appealing to our President and Congress to restore full funding to the Army Corps of Engineers to an appropriate level and ensure no cutbacks in the hours of operation of our river locks or diminution of capital repairs to the river's infrastructure and that they create a federal funding formula that fully appreciates the importance of recreational boats and crafts utilizing our rivers.
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WHEREAS, the centerpiece of Allegheny County is the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers that represent the economic, environmental and historic lifeblood of our region; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County has dedicated millions of public, private and charitable dollars to various efforts and projects to more fully develop our riverfronts for tourism, recreation, commerce and environmental appreciation; and
WHEREAS, the federal Army Corps of Engineers has performed in an outstanding fashion over many decades preserving, protecting and enhancing our river's navigable waters through the investment of millions of dollars for lock and dam construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of our rivers, always providing an invaluable service to commerce and recreational boaters; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Government's FY 2003 Budget calls for a planned thirty-one percent (31%) reduction in Corps funding which could possibly result in reductions to Corps operations leading to shorter hours of operations and less upkeep for the locks along our rivers.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, AND IT IS THE SENSE OF THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY,
That this Council does hereby support Resolution No. 885 passed by Pittsburgh City Council and does appeal to our President and Congress to restore full funding to the Army Corps of Engineers at an appropriate level and insure no cutbacks in the hours of operation of our river locks or diminution of capital repairs to the river's infrastructure and that they create a federal funding formula that fully appreciates the importance of recreational boats and crafts utilizing our rivers.
SPONSORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FRAZIER