The Great Lakes of the United States, National Security and the Budget
Abstract
Over the past 30 years, the civil works general construction account has declined from a high of approximately $4 billion in 1960 to $1.4 billion in 2005. One result of this is a construction backlog of approximately 500 active and authorized water resource projects with an estimated completion cost of $44 billion. The President's FY 2005 budget provides civil works discretionary funding of $4.2 billion, which includes $1.4 billion for construction. For FY 2002-2003, the total civil works appropriation averaged $4.6 billion. For FY 2005, this equates to 10% less purchasing power compared to FY 2003. Because of this, the infrastructure and navigation features that enable the transport of goods and services on the Great Lakes is woefully inadequate to meet the demands of the 21st century commerce. The lack of adequate congressionally appropriated funds for the last 20 years to support maintenance, repair, and replacement of antiquated facilities and structures is affecting the flow of commerce on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron. For fiscal year 2005 and beyond, this brings into question whether or not the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) can continue to adequately maintain federally mandated programs (dredging, structures, navigation features) to make certain that shipping companies will continue to transport cargo efficiently among Great Lakes harbors and ports and out to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. This paper examines in detail the linkage between national security, economic security, and the budget for civil works as appropriated by the U.S. Congress. The paper discusses the history of the budget; the mission of the USACE as the federal agency responsible for maintaining facilities, structures, and programs on the Great Lakes; the economic impact of the shipping industry on the region; and the national security impact of the loss of critical infrastructure and the subsequent effect on the economic health of the region.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 14, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA431809
Entities
People
- Mike B. Fulford
Organizations
- United States Army War College