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www.marinelink.com MN 21 such volume.

The Inland Waterways Capital

Development Plan, the comprehen- sive, consensus-based package of rec- ommendations that addresses the need to improve the continued vital- ity of the U.S. inland navigation sys- tem, is a way to assure more reliable infrastructure. It would allow the completion of navigation projects on time, on budget and in a more effi- cient way than ever before so that the export challenges now and in the future can be met. This plan was developed over a year-long period by the Inland Marine Transportation

System Investment Strategy Team, composed of key U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel and members of the Users Board. It is supported by more than 200 stakeholders includ- ing members of the conservation community, the U.S. Chamber of

Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, industry shippers and users, energy companies, and more. For a copy of the full report and recommendations, and to endorse the plan, visit the Waterways

Council’s web site (www.water- wayscouncil.org).

And while our nation takes its time evaluating the importance of water- ways infrastructure, other countries are marching ahead by developing and upgrading their own systems in order to compete with the United

States. In Brazil, for example, con- struction has just begun on two large hydroelectric dams at a cost of $15 billion in the Western Amazon region, the first of 24 dams planned for that area. We must as a nation look beyond today at the challenges that lie ahead and reinvest in water- ways infrastructure that keeps

America moving, keeps it strong, and gives it a competitive edge.

MN

Photo cour tesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers