Page 19: of Marine News Magazine (December 2019)

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to the extent that funding is avail- able to them. Would you agree?

The U.S. dredging industry is a vi- tal component of the maritime indus- try that responsible for helping meet the needs of commerce and national security. Without this industry our ports and waterways would quickly ? ll with silt. Naval ships would be unable to operate out of many of our strategic seaports. Waterborne com- merce would quickly come to a halt.

The U.S. dredging ? eet is comprised of more 50 companies operating more than 400 dredges. The dredging capacity of this ? eet has recently in- creased by 34% with the addition of new hopper dredges. In addition, the industry will build additional dredges when the Federal Government in- creases the long-term funding for dredging projects.

The Propeller Club supports the

Federal and State Maritime Acad- emies in many ways. Tell us about these efforts; how they come about, and their ultimate impact on these important schools.

The International Propeller Club has a Student Port at each of these

Academies. Our local clubs often work with the Student Clubs on pro- grams to help these students begin to develop a professional network with others in the maritime industry.

The IPCUS just changed our bylaws to allow graduates of these schools to have a free one-year membership in the Propeller Club to aid in their continued professional development.

We are committed to promoting maritime education and training.

Therefore, the International Propel- ler Club, through our local clubs, award tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to students attending these academies each year. 19 www.marinelink.com MN