Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Annual Meeting Copyrighted
March 20, 2017
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 8.
ITEM TITLE: Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Annual Meeting
Materials
SUMMARY: City Manager transmitting material from the 5th Annual
Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative held February 28
- March 2, 2017 in Washington, DC.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Supporting Documentation Supporting Documentation
THE 5r" ANNUAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER CITIES & TOWNS INITIATIVE
Capitol Meeting
Agenda
February 28 —March 2, 2017 Washington, DC
Unless otherwise noted,all sessions and events are open to all mayors and other officially invited attendees.
Official functions and meeting services are located in the Phoenix Park Hotel unless otherwise stated.WerRow Hotels
include the Hyatt Regency Washington,DC and the Washington Court Hotel.
February 28
Dinner with U.S.Army Corps of Engineers
6:00pm—9:OOpm,The McDermott Building, Main Conference Room, 500 North Capitol Street, NW
Mayors may gather in the hotel lobby of the Phoenix Park at 5:50pm to walk next door to dinner venue.
Registration materials will be available at the dinner.
Mayors will be joined by leadership from the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers for a sit-down dinner to discuss
current challenges facing the Mississippi River as well as possible solutions.
Presiding: GEORGE FLAGGS, Mayor of Vicksburg, MS
CHRIS COLEMAN, Mayor of St. Paul, MN, MRCTI Co-Chair
BELINDA CONSTANT, Mayor of Gretna, LA, MRCTI Co-Chair
welcome: JAMES KIM
Partner
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Remarks: LESLIE SHOEMAKER
Global Exceutive Vice President, Water, Environment& Infrastructure
Tetra Tech
Discussion: MAJOR GENERAL DONALD E.(Eo)JACKSON COLONEL ANTHONY MITCHELL
Deputy Commanding General, Civil Operations Commander, St. Louis District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
COL MICHAEL DEROSIER EDWARD E.BELK
Commander, Vicksburg District Chief, Programs Integration Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Discussion: Roy E.WRIGHT
Deputy Associate Administrator for Insurance and Mitigation
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Update on FRANCIS SLAY
2017Annual Mtg: Mayor of St. Louis, MO
March 1
Funding Infrastructure Improvements In Our Cities
8:00am—30:00am, Main Conference Room,Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc., 101 Constitution Avenue, NW, #600w
Mayors will meet in the Phoenix Park Lobby at 7:30am and board buses for the breakfast venue.
Presiding: JIM STRICKLAND, Mayor of Memphis,TN
Welcome: STEVEN PALMER
Vice President,Van Scoyoc Associates
Greetings: JESSICA GIROUX
General Counsel & Managing Director
Bond Dealers of America
Introduction: MARK P.SMITH LINDA LANGSTON
Deputy Director, North American Water Director of Strategic Relations
The Nature Conservancy National Association of Counties
Presentation: ANT-I M.SUHONEN
Executive Director, Infrastructure Public Finance
Corporate& Investment Bank
J.P. Morgan
Capitol Hill Executive Meetings
10:30am— 12:00pm, LBJ Room (S-211), United States Capitol,Senate Side
Presiding: ROY BUOL, Mayor of Dubuque, IA
Frank Klipsch, Mayor of Davenport, IA
Presentation: KAREN E.WIRTH
EPA Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water
Source Water Protection Collaborative Team Leader
Presentation: ALAN MAYBERRY HOWARD"MAC" MCMILLAN
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety Acting Deputy Administrator
Pipeline& Hazardous Materials Safety Adm. PHMSA
U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation
MARK SANBORN
Intergovernmental Affairs
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
Update: KELLY MCGINNIS STACI WILLIAMS
Mississippi River Program Manager Mississippi River Program
Mississippi River Network American Rivers
Capitol Hill Lunch
12:00pm—1:30pm, LBJ Room (S-211), United States Capitol, Senate Side
Presiding: Tim Kabat, Mayor of La Crosse, W1
Presentation: THE HONORABLE RON KIND(Invited)
Member, House Ways &Means Subcommittee on Trade
United States House of Representatives (WI)
White House Meeting on Infrastructure (Mayors and city staff only)
2:30pm—4:00pm, White House Executive Office Building, 17Th Street&State Place, NW
Presiding: CHRIS COLEMAN, Mayor of St. Paul, MN, MRCTI Co-Chair
BELINDA CONSTANT, Mayor of Gretna, LA, MRCTI Co-Chair
Welcome: PRESIDENTS OFFICE OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Discussion: PRESIDENTS NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
Disaster Resilience and National Security
Break(Return to Hotel)
5:00pm—6:00pm
Congressional Dinner Opening Reception
6:30pm—7:OOpm, Opening Reception,Top of the Jones Day Building, 300 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Rm 740
Mayors may gather in the hotel lobby at 6:15pm to walk one block to the Dinner venue
Join St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant, and members of the U.S. Senate and
House of Representatives for a reception and dinner with the Mississippi River Caucus.
Presiding: CHRIS COLEMAN, Mayor of St. Paul, MN, MRCTI Co-Chair
BELINDA CONSTANT, Mayor of Gretna, LA, MRCTI Co-Chair
Introduction: FRANCIS SLAY HARRY REDIGER
Mayor of St. Louis, MO Mayor of Cape Girardeau, MO
/remarks: THE HONORABLE ROY BLUNT (Invited)
Mississippi River Caucus Co-Chair
United States Senate(MO)
Introduction: DAVE KLEIS TIM MCNEIL
Mayor of St. Cloud, MN Mayor of Dayton, MN
Remarks: THE HONORABLE AMY KLOBUCHAR (Invited) THE HONORABLE BETTY MCCOLLUM
Mississippi River Caucus Co-Chair Member, House Appropriations Committee
United States Senate (MN) United States House of Representatives(MN)
Congressional Dinner
7:00pm—g:30pm, Dinner,Top of the Jones Day Building, 300 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Rm 740
This is our chance to impress upon new members of Congress and the Administration the importance of the
Nation's Inland Waterway system and the valuable Federal Partnerships that can fulfill America's
infrastructure needs.
Presiding: CHRISCOLEMAN, Mayor of St. Paul, MN, MRCTI Co-Chair
BELINDA CONSTANT, Mayor of Gretna, LA, MRCTI Co-Chair
Welcome: ANTONIO F. DIAS
Senior Counsel, Municipal Practice
Jones Day
Introduction: HARRY REDIGER
Mayor of Cape Girardeau, MO
Remarks: THE HONORABLE JASON SMITH
Co-Chair, Mississippi River Caucus
United States House of Representatives (MO)
Introduction: LIONEL JOHNSON,JR.
Mayor of St.Gabriel, LA
Keynote: THE HONORABLE GARRET GRAVES
Chairman,Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources & Env.
United States House of Representatives (LA)
March 2
MRCTI Leadership Breakfast
7:30am—8:30am, Phoenix Park Hotel, Powers Court Room
Presiding: CHRIS COLEMAN, Mayor of St. Paul, MN, MRCTI Co-Chair
BELINDA CONSTANT, Mayor of Gretna, LA, MRCTI Co-Chair
Discussion: DON CLINE
Associate Director of Water
U.S. Geological Survey
Mayors Press Conference
9:00am-9:30am, National Association of Realtors Building, 12th floor, 500 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Mayors will host a press conference to introduce their plan for restoring the built and natural infrastructure of
the Mississippi River Corridor.The Press venue is located one block from the Phoenix Park Hotel.
Presiding: CHRIS COLEMAN, Mayor of St. Paul, MN, MRCTI Co-Chair
BELINDA CONSTANT, Mayor of Gretna, LA, MRCTI Co-Chair
11:00am—Adjourn
Hotel Information
Rooms are available at a reduced rate within the historic Phoenix Park Hotel (pictured below), 520 Capitol
Street,NW, Washington, DC 20001. Reservations can be made by calling 202-638-6900, ask for the block
under Mississippi River Cities & Towns.
520 North Capitol Street,NW
Washington,DC 20001
p 202.638.6900
f 202.638.4025
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Mississippi River Cities & Towns
America's Inland Coast
Mayors of the Mississippi River are making great .
accomplishments enhancing National Security, i
Preparedness, and Economic Development
• Realized over $200 million for Section 319 Water
Pollution Grants to secure our water supply
• Realized $150 million foe Pre-Disaster
Mitigation to protect our economy and jobs
• Worked to restore Corps of Engineers Budget
from harmful cuts that would compromise our r '
safety and preparedness r
low J,
Re-Linked conservation com
• compliance to crop Y
Insurance to protect our source water
• Reestablished the Marine Highway Grant
Program to improve American global trade t
t.
competitiveness
• Ratified a landmark agreement with food industry
to aid in sustaining our agricultural economy
Mississippi River
Cities & Towns Initiative
An effort of the
Mayors along the Waterway
America's Inland Coast 2017
In 2012, local governments partnered to create a new, influential, and independent voice for the
Mississippi River dramatically increasing demand for effective river protection, restoration and man-
agement. The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) addresses matters of concern
through five major programs which include:
• Clean Water
• Sustainable Economies
• Disaster Resilience and Adaptation
• International Food and Water Security
• Celebration of River Culture, History, and Heritage
There are 124 Mayor-lead Mississippi River main stem cities and towns. These riparian population
centers are soundly River-centric. MRCTI gives a common voice to those who depend most upon the
River, and by virtue of doing so, spans political and economic interests. That is, it taps a natural
source of the longed-for integration of transportation, farming, industrial, municipal and environmen-
tal interests to launch lasting solutions to River management issues.
The outcome of the MRCTI is designed to be tangible improvement of Mississippi River:
• Water quality,
• Sustainable development, and
• River economy and environmental protection with specific attention to vulnerable populations
Successes of the MRCTI include:
• Worked with Congress to form the first bi-cameral Mississippi River Caucus
• Signed the first Memorandum of Common Purpose with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Secured a 3-fold increase in funding for the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program
• Established the River's first corridor-wide non-federal sustainable development fund
• Assembled a partnership between 7 world trade centers and 18 community foundations
• Secured funding for the Marine Highway Grant Program
The MRCTI builds capacity of member mayors to undertake effective local initiatives to attract green
jobs, move to sustainable economies and achieve local environmental protection goals. Ultimately,
this work helps protect and restore the Mississippi River as a natural system that can sustainably sup-
port human culture and economies as well as wildlife.
MRCTI is a local government-lead effort empowering the ten States and over one hundred cities that
border the Mississippi River to act for its continued prosperity, sustainability, and economic growth.
Contact: Colin Wellenkamp, Executive Director, cwellenkaml?Amrcti.org, 314-657-3863.
Mississippi River
Cities & Towns Initiative
Participating Cities
America's Inland Coast 2017
These cities have joined the MRCTI. All ten Mississippi River states are represented.
Bemidji, MN Savanna, IL Crystal City, MO Port Allen, LA
Brainerd, MN Bettendorf, IA St. Genevieve,MO Gretna, LA
Baxter, MN Riverdale, IA Chester, IL New Orleans, LA
Sartell, MN East Moline, IL Cape Girardeau, MO -
Sauk Rapids, MN Moline, IL Cavo, IL
St. Cloud, MN Rock Island, IL Wickliffe, KY
Clearwater, MN Davenport, IA Columbus, KY
Monticello, MN Muscatine, IA Hickman, KY
Coon Rapids,MN Burlington, IA New Madrid, MO
Dayton, MN Fort Madison, IA Tiptonville,TN
Ramsey, MN Canton,MO Osceola, AR
Minneapolis, MN LaGrange, MO Memphis, TN
St. Paul, MN Louisiana, MO Tunica, MS
Hastings, MN Quincy, IL Helena-West Helena, AR
Prescott, WI Clarksville, MO Clarksdale, MS
Red Wing, MN Grafton, IL Rosedale, MS
Winona, MN Alton, IL Greenville, MS
Onalaska, WI Hartford, IL Tallulah, LA
La Crosse, WI St. Louis, MO Vicksburg, MS
Lansing, IA East St. Louis, MO St. Joseph, LA
Prairie du Chien, WI Sauget, IL Natchez, MS
Guttenberg, IA Kimmswick, MO Vidalia, LA
Dubuque, IA Prairie du Rocher, IL St. Francisville, LA
Clinton, IA Festus, MO Baton Rouge, LA
MRCTI is a local government-lead effort of mayors along the main stem Mississippi River from the headwa-
ters to the Gulf of Mexico. If you have any questions, or wish to learn more, please do not hesitate to reach us
at the contact information listed below.
Colin Wellenkamp, Executive Director
Mississippi River Cities&Towns Initiative
1520 Market Street, Suite 2000
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 657-3863, offc
S:
M R E T I
Clean Water Program
The Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initia- also the largest source of jobs on
tive (MRCTI) clean water program is a top the Mississippi River. The USGS
priority because we can tie all aspects of a map below shows the Mississippi
better life in our cities to clean water. Truly, River Corridor is one of the most intensive
if we have clean water in the River then we surface water use regions withdrawing a
have food security because clean water minimum of 38 billion gallons annually.
means sustainable agriculture is being prac- Our program is comprised of three
ticed on the landscape. If we have clean wa- parts: 1) Increase the capacity of federal
ter, then we are better protected from programs that assist states to reduce their
droughts and floods because we have a nutrient loading quotient;
healthy ecological system. If we have clean
water, then our economy has a competitive To l3uAac mlw wkhdmwaKM16
edge in that it too is sustainable. Most im-
portantly, if we have clean water, then the \�
50 cities (20 million people) drinking the we .�
M.
ter can be assured of a secure source into
the future. --
More than 52 percent of our nation's
total fresh water withdrawals are sourced oem
from surface water—rivers, lakes, and
streams. The majority of these withdraws
are from the manufacturing sector which is I }
T.r^ I N �• �
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Clean Wate6Prograrn
2) Increase nutrient monitoring capacity MRCTI in this work and the roster
throughout the Mississippi River Valley and continues to grow as we expand our
bolster state efforts to set goals and time- work over the next two years.
lines for both nitrogen and phosphorus;
International Scope
MRCTI has an international food and water
3) Create market signals within the food pro- security program that closely aligns with our
duction and retail industries that nutrient re- clean water program. Bot programs create
duction practices are an important supply urgency and synergy for each other. The
chain control for city procurement policies Mississippi River's trade footprint is consid-
and priorities. erable directly impacting 40 percent of our
nation's agricultural output, most of which is
Partners traded across the globe.
Mayors are working to bring essential stake- The global economy and the world's
holders together. Securing our source water food producing river basins have influence
requires diverse partners from a variety of on the Mississippi's economy. As climate
sectors including companies, states, and risk impacts demand for commodities world-
federal agencies. Monitoring, supply chain wide, sustainable agriculture will contribute
management, increasing resources, policy to water quality and maintain the land's abil-
changes are all part of this program within ity to reliably produce.
MRCTI. Cities from the headwaters to the
Gulf use the River's surface water and the Shared Commitment
manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, naviga- MRCTI is committing to working within the
tion, and energy economies depend on this food production supply chain to incentivize
surface water to exist; the quality of the wa- cleaner water through city procurement strat-
ter has a direct bearing on performance of egies, as well as work to add acreage to
the first three, which are the top revenue credible nutrient management platforms
and job performers along the River. Wal- such as Wal-Mart's fertilizer optimization Ini-
Mart Stores, Inc., Upper Mississippi River tiative. More can share in our commitment.
Basin Association, U.S. Geological Survey, We encourage organizations that are im-
American Water, and the National Sustaina- patted by the water economy to join our ef-
ble Agriculture Coalition are all partners of fort and secure our source water.
Walmart :lm
C
AMERICAN WATER National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
UMRBA
Mississippi River Caucus of the U.S. House & Senate
Senator Senator Congressman Congressman Congressman Congressman
Roy Blunt(MO) Amy Klobuchar(MN) Rick Crawford (AR) Jason Smith (Mo) Ron Kind (WI) Tim Walz(MN)
Welcome Mississippi River Mayors:
Much has Been Done to Accomplish our Common Vision
We, the Co-Chairs of the Mississippi River Caucus in the U.S. House and Senate welcome you to Wash-
ington for your 2017 Capitol Meeting. We see this is your fifth annual gathering in our nation's capitol
and we could not be more encouraged by the work completed in these five short years since both the Cau-
cus and the Mississippi River Cities &Towns Initiative were created.
The cooperation,collaboration, and you could say challenges have been unprecedented. Our collaboration
has brought incredible results:
• Restoring the budget of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;
• Bringing back Marine Highway Grants improving American competitiveness;
• Reviving Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grants to make our economy more resilient.
These are but three examples of our common objectives.There will be many more opportunities for the
Mississippi River Caucus and mayors to pursue a common goal that narrows government's role, creates
greater return for the taxpayer, and secures our economy by protecting the most important ecosystem ser-
vice the River provides all our communities—clean fresh water. This water powers our manufacturing,
sustains our tourism, and provides a drinking source for 20 million people in 50 cities throughout the ten-
state corridor.
Infrastructure is the Next Great Opportunity
One such opportunity we look forward to collaborating with the mayors on is restoring our infrastructure.
We think you will agree there is a prospect to collect national will around this most urgent need of our
country. The American Society of Civil Engineers has given our infrastructure a grade of D+. Compro-
mise and failure of our critical infrastructure will cost our economy more than the price of restoring it.
We understand the mayors have brought a plan to restore the natural and built infrastructure of the
Mississippi River Corridor with them to Washington and will unveil it during this meeting. We look for-
ward to working with the mayors on a common goal as the larger national proposal is developed and
considered by Congress.
On a final positive note,we hope you will join us in welcoming Congressman Jason Smith of Missouri as
the newest co-chair of the Caucus. Mr. Smith takes the seat vacated by Mr. Stephen Fincher. Mr. Smith
brings a strong record we know will help your work in the region.
Again we welcome you to Washington. Our corridor sustained over$10 billion in disaster impacts last
year;thus we remain more motivated than ever to continue working on behalf of the Mississippi River. j
I
-Co-Chairs of the Mississippi River Caucus
MRC
Mississippi River Caucus Members
House Senate
Rick Crawford, AR, Co-Chair Roy Blunt, Co-Chair, MO
Jason Smith, MO, Co-Chair Amy Klobuchar. Co-Chair, )SIN
Ron Kind, WI, Co-Chiar Al Franken, MN \.
Tim Walz, MN, Co-Chair Tammy Baldwin, WI
Collin Peterson, MN Chuck Grassley, IA
Betty McCollum, MN Richard Durbin, IL
Paul Ryan, WI Claire McCaskill, MO
i Dave Loebsack, IA John Boozman, AR
g heri Bustos, IL Tom Cotton, A
eter Roskam, IL Thad Cochran
Michuigely, IL Roger Wick
Bi Foster, IL Bill Ca
Rodney Davis, IL
Rod Blum, IA
Sam Graves, MO t+'
r
Lacy Clay, MO tt� Afj1
Ann Wagner, MO
Marsha Blackburn, TN
IA
Steve Cohen, TNS y' r
Bennie Thompson, MS --- `_. �.•-" ` J '
Gregg Harper, MS a
Steve Palazzo, MS
Ralph Abraham, LA
Garret Graves, LA
Chism Hardy Investments, LLC Mississippi River
ILL " o S Cities & Towns Initiative
SOYBEAN � NAEMC MN
fiS50CIRT10N �
Trade Networks MRCTI Sustainable Economies
Container-on-Vessel, a public/private effort
Walmart
INGRAM SCFMARINE, /NC
o�INLANO flIVERS
POflTS &TERMINALS INc
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Returning Container Shipping to the Mississippi River
Mayors along the Mississippi River, in a drive to sus- answer is mayors couldn't afford not to. Cities have a
tainably build the river economy, add jobs, and im- severe traffic congestion problem.The freight situa-
prove intermodal movement through their cities, tion through-out the Mississippi River corridor is over
have built a coalition of major stakeholders com- dependent on truck and rail. One fully loaded semi
prised of organizations such as FedEx Trade wears on roads as much as 6,400 cars. But, that's not
even the most pressing reason.
Few of the 30 million containers that entered the
U.S. in 2014 traveled the Mississippi River. Container movement on the Mississippi River
presents a tremendous opportunity.
Networks, Home Depot,the Inland River Port&Ter- According to U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Sta-
minal Association, Ingram Barge, and the IL Soybean tistics,the U.S.freight transportation system moved
Association. DOT Secretary Foxx has confirmed that more than 17.6 billion tons of goods valued at$16.8
the Mayors' effort to restore container movement to trillion in 2011.The Maritime Administration predicts
the Mississippi River has been made an official project the U.S. will need to move an additional 14 billion
within the U.S. Department of Transportation under tons of cargo by 2050 to accommodate population
the MARAD Marine Highway Program. This designa- growth.This means the U.S. will need to almost dou-
tion allows the existing public private partnership to ble freight movement capacity within 35 years.There
become eligible for Federal grant funds as well as is only one way the nation can possibly meet that
technical assistance. Most importantly, however,the growth—by utilizing our inland waterway system.
organized process and coordination that comes with For the first time since 2007,the Marine High-
Maritime Administration project designation keeps way Grant Program has been funded for FY 2016. The
the effort focused, on track, and organized.The work Mayors coordinated-applications from St. Louis to
has been so successful, navigation industry leaders New OpMans to maximize the potential of the grant
are now using the same model to pursue container- to sta01n`d expand container service. Now, U.S. DOT
on-barge service from Illinois to Louisiana. is poiseclAcrannounce the new grantees and MRCTI
Why are mayors pursuing a.project to move will be there to assist this burgeoning economy on
Containers on the Mississippionce again? The simple the Mississippi River.
Mississippi River
January 2017 Cities & Towns Initiative
An Effort of Mayors
America's Inland Coast 2017
ippi Rive Mississippi tc-
4ippi R4kery
sippil
i
Pictured L to R: Mayors George Vicksburg,MS;J.
Gallagher of Bettenclorf,IA;
Wcr
�y
Fran-
cis Slay of St.Louis,MO;Dave
BelindaDarryl
Grennell of Natches,MS;Richard Lee of Port Allen,LA;Harry
Rediger of Cape Girardeau,MO;Russell Loven of Guttenberg,IA
Mayors Unveil Plan to Achieve use regions withdrawing a minimum of 38 billion gallons
annually. The Mayors' program is comprised of three
Clean Water in Ten States parts: I) Increase the capacity of federal programs that
assist states to reduce their nutrient loading quotient;2)
At their Annual Meeting in Natchez, MS Mayors along Increase nutrient monitoring capacity throughout the Mis-
the Nation's most important inland waterway announced a sissippi River Valley and bolster state efforts to set goals
multi-pronged approach to improving the water quality of and timelines for both nitrogen and phosphorus;
the Mississippi River. 3) Create market signals within the food production and
"Mayors of MRCTI consider clean water a top pri- retail industries that nutrient reduction practices are an
ority because more than 20 million people and 50 cities important supply chain control for city procurement poli-
drink the surface water of the Mississippi River. Also,the cies and priorities.
top three economies on the Mississippi are Manufactur-
ing, tourism, and agriculture generating$366 billion in Landmark Alliance with Walmart Announced
annual revenue directly supporting over 1.1 million jobs.
These three economies depend on one vital resource— part of the Mayors' plan includes a unique alliance with
clean fresh water." said Mayor Dave Kleis, Mayor of St. Walmart to incentivize sustainable agriculture through the
Cloud, MN and MRCTI Executive Committee member supply. Mississippi River Cities and Walmart pledged a
representing MN. collective effort in urging food suppliers set aside acreage
More than 52 percent of the nation's total fresh in all ten Mississippi River states for the implementation
water withdrawals are sourced from surface water— of nutrient reductive practices such as cover crops. Cities
rivers, lakes, and streams. largest source of jobs on the further committed to using procurement authority to cre-
Mississippi River. Data from USGS shows the Mississippi ate directives that require a portion of city-purchased food
River Corridor as one of the most intensive surface water be from acreage practicing nutrient reduction.
found that freshwater wetlands, can absorb up to 32 percent I
Mayors Represent more carbon in greenhouse intensive environments. Forests,
marshes, streams, and creek vegetation fed by rivers add to
1VIR CTI in greenhouse gas storage capacity.
"A U.S. River Cities association is playing a role in this.
Mexico an China Summit because climate impacts are not confined to
Advance International city or state boundaries, they are multi-regional in
scope; and, freshwater ecosystems like the Mississip-
Agreement to Achieve Global pi River valley play a valuable role in reducing our
Food and Water Security greenhouse gas footprint,"said Chris Cole- man, Mayor
of St. Paul,MN and Co-Chair of MRCTL
ARCH Mayors Urge nations to sustain food- Since China produces food for more than 20 percent of
producing river Basins, include rivers in their the world's population and that production is partly
climate change strategies sustained by the agriculturally rich three rivers plain, it
MRCTI gained new signatories to an international agree- is important China be included in the effort to protect
ment to mitigate climate impact on the world's food and the world's food-producing river basins from cli- mate
freshwater supply. Mayor Belinda Constant presented at the change.
World Assembly of River Basins in Merida, Mexico.
River basins produce the majority of the world's food
"One of the greatest climate change threats to the world is a supply. Among these,the Mississippi River Basin ranks
dramatic alteration to our food supply and decrease of first in production capacity and China is second. MRCTI
freshwater. Me and my fellow mayors see the adoption of has secured signatures to the agreement from river
an international sustainability agreement imperative to sav- basin organizations comprised of more than 70 nations.
ing river basins—including ours—from climate change and -
major population growth," said Mayor Belinda Constant,
Gretna, LA and MRCTI Co-Chair. y,.
The agreement seeks to protect surface/ground waters to
ensure food and water security. It also contains action items Senegal became the
on developing a water quantity/quality program. fust national govern-
ment to sign the
The MRCTI agreement was signed by Mr. Manuel Mayors' International
Alejandro Gomez Melchor, President of the North Ameri- _ Water Security Agree-
ment.ean Network of Basin Organizations; Mr. Normand Caze- ,t J Diene Secretary
of
laic, Secretary General of the North tnerican Network of Senegal Secretary ne
Basin Organizations;Mr. Lupercio roldo Antonio, State for Water joined
Secretary of the Brazilian Network of Basin Organizations; MRCTI Co-Chair
Mr. Ramiro Martinez Costa, President of the Medite*eaii - Belinda Constant in
Network of Basin Organizations, Tracy Molefi, Chair bathe adding Senegal g the
African Network of Basin Organizations, and the nation of agreement during the,
Senegal. World Assembly of .
River Basins in Meri-
While Mayor Constant was in Mexico, Mayors Chris Cole- da, Mexico this d alias unique water challeng-
man of St. Paul and Roy Buol of Dubuque were in Beijing es t4oughout the S ivei>Basin.,The country de-
pends mayors and international organizations to make pends on the multi-nation fiver for its agriculture and
healthy rivers part of their climate mitigation plans. Our drinking water supply. Tr ging a semi-arid geography,
natural infrastructure has carbon and other greenhouse gas the Senegal River is very wlrP rable to drought.:Water
reductive properties. A 2013 study by the Smithsonian I quantity actions of the agreement were their priority.
r' ,_X qo
F-
CLIMATE
16 HINA
LEADERSififtf #
L204U.S.-CHINA
Too Picture Lto R:Ramiro Martinez Costa, President ofthe Medi-
terranean Network of Basin Organizations; Lupercio Ziroldo Anto-
nio,Secretary of Brazilian Network of Basin Organizations; Mayor
Belinda Constant, Normand Cazelais,Secretary General of the
IL., �.� North American Network of Basin Organizations;Tracy Molefi,
3o- Chair of the African Network of Basin Organizations; Manuel
a Alejandro Gomez Melchor, President of the North Network of Basin
�.�.. - Organizations;Jean-Francois Donzier,General Secretary of the In-
ternational Network of River Basins. Bottom: Mayor Coleman
' meets with Erik Solheim,Executive Director of the UN Environmen-
tal Program. Mayor Coleman addresses the U.S.—China Climate
Summit in Beijing. Mayor Buol of Dubuque,IA in Beijing,China.
MELbr _
i = MRCTI 5th Annual Meeting in
T
�T
,
Mayors gathered in Natchez, MS for their fifth Annual We plan to continue to support farmers and their communi-
Meeting to celebrate the city's 300th anniversary and ties improving livelihoods, productivity and water quality.
unveil agreements regarding clean water, disaster re- The MRCTI alliance is an exciting opportunity to promote
silience, and National Geographic. nutrient reduction in food procurement practices across the
10 Mississippi River basin states," explained Britmi Furrow,
Clean Water Alliance with Walmart Stores, Inc. Senior Director of Global Sustainability for Walmart, pic-
Walmart has agreed to an alliance tured left, first column.
with MRCTI on reducing nutrient
Cilia&Towns I iloading in the Mississippi River MRCTI has also partnered with USGS, Upper Mississippi
through incentivizing the supply River Basin Association,American Water, and the National
i chain around practices that retain Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to support this work.
nitrogen and phosphorus mitigating
what mayors deem the greatest Disaster Preparedness
threat to their water security. The Mississippi River has
sustained significant storm
According to Mayor Dave KVA impact since the start of
"One of the greatest threats[oo our 'e 2016. Louisiana Lt. Governor
water is nutrient loading. Our cities Billy Nungesser(pictured
want to make a difference in reducing the amount of nutri- left), outlined the impacts of
ents flowing into our water. We found that procurement re- historic August flooding to
quirements around the food cities purchase for city facili- MRCTI mayors urging that
ties, programs, and events could send a signal to the market- states and cities partner for
place that controlling for nutrient pollution in the supply more preparedness and recov-
chain is critical." - ery resources. The Lt. Gover-
nor explained that as much
In answer to this, "Walmart will continue its work on nutri- water feet on the Baton
ent reduction while launching an alliance with MRCTI. To- Rouge area as is carried by the Mississippi River over an 18
date, Walmart is working with 17 suppliers in its agriculture -day period. Continued on next page.
supply chain engaging 23 million acres in best practices.
"Cape Girardeau,MO has seen an all-time high flood level. Three-fourths of Mississippi River, I
Mississippi was impacted by flood water effecting 12 million people,"ex- Cities&Towns Initiative,
plained Mayor Errick Simmons of Greenville, MS.
But, it's not just flooding. Minnesota heat indices climbed above 100 degrees ssippi
at the end of July. We've had over 45,000 homes damaged or destroyed in
Louisiana since March," said Mayor Richard Lee of Port Allen, LA just 01 V
across the River from Baton Rouge, LA.
i
MRCTI mayors, asked FEMA to improve their process for the application of
disaster resources. According to Mayor Richard Lee of Port Allen, LA, "We
need to make it easier for states and cities to treat climate impacts with disas- Greenville Mayor Errick
ter mitigation resources as they occur—at the regional level." MRCTI recom- a rte,
Simmons details disaster
mends that FEMA make updates to the program and allow for broader multi- ` impacts on the River during
state projects to meet climate change at the scale it is happening—throughout 2016.
the ten-state corridor.
MRCTI Hosts National Geographic Role-Out
NATIONAL
MW
GEOGRAPHIC'" 7�
MRCTI hosted the launch of the Mississippi River Ge-
otourism MapGuide website in partnership with Na-
tional Geographic Maps, the Mississippi River Collab-
orative, the Big River Strategic Initiative and the Delta It - -
Regional Authority. The landmark project has taken
two and a half years to plan and execute and is a histor-
ically significant digital asset for everyone who visits
or lives in the ten states along the Mississippi River.
The Geotourism MapGuide highlights the Delta+-= ' Authority i � '
signs Mmoran-
unique and authentic landscapes and resilient people of Chrisdum of Common I I ose with
the Mississippi River that is the lifeblood of the econo- MRC7rl and the ••
mies along its banks and a unique melting pot of expe-
riences not found anywhere else in the United States or across the world. It is designed to showcase to national and in-
ternational audiences the diverse natural, cultural and historic attractions that define the many communities along the
Mississippi River. The Mississippi River Geotourism MapGuide:
0 Is one of only 20 Geotourism MapGuide websites worldwide to date;
0 Showcases more than 1,300 sites and travel experiences nominated by locals;
0 Is a resource designed to improve local, rural economic development;
0 Provides access to a niche national market of 65 million"geotravelers;"
0 Provides a long-term resource for promoting the communities and culture along the Mississippi River.
MRCTI entered into a Memorandum of Common Purpose with the Mississippi River Connections Collaborative. The
Collaborative works to increase recognition of America's Great River, its people, places and stories and to enhance all
existing resources, and acquire funding for conservation and development. Signatories to the Memorandum include the
Delta Regional Authority,National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Big River Strategic Initiative,
Great Rivers Greenway, and the Mississippi River Parkway Commission. Continued on nett page.
MRCTI Corporate Advisory Board
Seats New Members, Selects New
Chair and Vice Chair
Mayor Bob Gallagher of Bettendorf, IA presided over the
MRCTI Corporate Advisory Board(CAB)Breakfast at the
Annual Meeting in Natchez, MS where three new members
were seated and CAB leadership was selected.
The Big River Strategic Initiative and the National Sustaina-
ble Agriculture Coalition(NSAC) both came aboard the
MRCTI CAB. Sarah Carlson of Iowa Practical Farmers
(pictured right) accepted the appointment on behalf of the
Coalition. Te Eastin, Executive Director of the Bi RiverRiver
tTY g Cilia&Tmcns
Strategic Initiative and Bob Salmon, Senior Vice President
Iniiiam. '
of American Queen Steamboat took the seats for their re-
spective organizations. The Big River Strategic Initiative is
a collection of projects to activate and celebrate the Missis-
sippi River and its surrounding landscape including the Big River Crossing. NSAC has joined the CAB to assist MRCTI
with its effort to improve water quality through the promotion of sustainable agriculture practices by incentivizing the
supply chain around such techniques. The fast and second largest river cruise vessels on the Mississippi River are operat-
ed by the American Queen Steamboat Company. American Queen was recognized in 2014 and 2015 as the world's top
river cruise line.
Mayor Gallagher also officially recognized SCF Marine as the new CAB Chair for 2016-17 and NSAC as the new Vice
Chair. SCF Marine was represented by company president Tim Power. SCF pledged to work with MRCTI toward return-
ing container movement to the Mississippi River.
Mississippi River Cities & Towns Of-
fer Aid to Hurricane Impacted Com-
munities, Make Recommendations for
Better Disaster Preparedness
"As mayors of cities along the Mississippi River, the Hurricane
Bettendiiii Mayor Bob Cialla-hrr i,in
Matthew devastation hits home for us. Our'coasts' have many
of the same vulnerabilities. In fact, within just the past ten conference.
months, cities and towns on the Mississippi experienced record
flooding and record heat at a prolonged level," reflected Mayor CongressmanFr with IA D'
ve Loelasack
Belinda Constant of Gretna, LA and MRCTI Co-chair.
it
"Since January of this year,the Mississippi River Valley has
sustained$10 billion in impacts; this is becoming a more and
more frequent pattern with escalating costs. We're becoming
rather astute to this new normal and we believe we can present
some credible recommendations on how to mitigate these dis-
asters better,"stated Mayor Chris Coleman, Mayor of St. Paul,
MN and MRCTI Co-Chair. Continued on next page.
"Mayors up and down the Mississippi River stand ready to "We are approaching disaster resilience from a `natural
offer assistance to hurricane impacted areas just as we did process' point of view by giving the River room to ebb and
in the wake of Hurricane Katrina," stated Mayor Bob Gal- flow as well as absorbing risk on-site instead of pushing
lagher of Bettendorf, IA. more water down river to the next city," explained Mayor
MRCTI has urged FEMA to rethink their pre-disaster miti- Frank Klipsch of Davenport,IA.
gation program criteria,which is currently constructed to Those cities offering mutual aid to hurricane-ravaged Com-
be state specific. In light of recent natural disasters, it has munities include:
become evident that this policy is limiting the region's St. Paul, MN St. Louis, MO
ability to effectively respond to the impacts. La Crosse, WI Memphis, TN
"We need to make it easier for states and cities to treat cli- Davenport,IA Greenville, MS
mate impacts with disaster mitigation resources as they oc- Bettendorf, IA Gretna, LA
cur—at the regional level,"recommended Mayor John Quincy, IL
Thodos, of East Moline, IL
a
Mr:MPHIS BIG RIVER l"A
CROSSING
Helena-West Helena, Mayor Jay
r
® • '
lowell(3rd from R)st s with AR Gover-
nor Asa Hutchinson ding the ribbon
cutting of the Big Riv essingi West
Memphis,AR. 1.
Longest Recreation Bridge Links route has been transformed for pedestrian traffic.
AR and TN across the Mississippi When completely linked, the Big River Crossing will ulti-
mately make possible the second longest Mississippi River
MRCTI Executive Committee members Mayor Strickland trail. This is all part of a larger effort to have one alignment
of Memphis, TN and Mayor Hollowell of Helena-West of trail from headwaters to gulf that does not use roadways.
Helena, AR participated in the Big River Strategic Initia- "The Mississippi River has more than 50 state parks, 60
tive's opening of the Big River Crossing on October 22. national historic landmarks, 50 interpretive centers, 20 sce-
The Big River Crossing is a $17.5 million pathway over nic overlooks, and 124 mayor-lead municipalities. The
the Harahan Bridge. The project restores the originall917 more we can connect all these attractions,the better," said
automobile route adjacent to the active rail line on historic Mayor Hollowell speaking at the event.
Union Pacific cantilevered truss bridge. The automobile
r.
MRCTI Awarded DOT Grant return of container movement on the River is big part of
that effort,"said Mayor Francis Slay of St. Louis.
The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Admin- "It is essential that we invest in integrated,multi-modal
istration announced the awarding of Marine Highwaytransportation systems that support the efficient movement
Grants for the Mississippi River. Though the program is of freight and people throughout this country,"says Mari-
national, many of the grants have been awarded to projects time Administrator Paul "Chip"Jaenichen.
on the Mississippi River signifying the incredible im-
portance of the waterway. Further, of the six projects that
are receiving grant funds, five are for container-on-barge. MRCTI Welcomes New Operations
Grantees include a planning grant for a partnership led by Manager Emily LaRosa
the Port of St. Louis, the Mississippi River Cities & has been brought-on as MRC-
Towns Initiative, the Inland River Port&Terminal Asso- TI's new Operations Manager,
ciation, and the Upper Mississippi River Basin Associa- Emily served as the Associa-
tion to build the container economy for the Mississippi tion's fust intern in 2013 and
River and work with freight forwarders to offer the Mis- has returned with a degree
sissippi River as a container option. from Carnegie Mellon Univer-
"The Mayors of the Mississippi River have been working sity as well as account manage-
to build a sustainable economy for the waterway and the ment experience from 3 firms.
MRCTI Awarded Largest Mayors Set to Meet in DC
Foundation Grants To Date Mayors will gather in Washington, DC Feb 28-March 2,
This fall, the Initiative was awarded a two-year grant 2017 to make a critical push for valuable infrastructure
from both the Walton and McKnight Foundations. These investment from the incoming administration. Mayors
grants comprise the largest combined sum ever allocated have set both natural and conventional infrastructure
to the Association since it began in 2012. The grants will as a priority and will meet ! with Washington leaders
go to support MRCTI's water quality work as part of the to devise a plan forwardserving as the Capitol Meeting headquarters.
. If The Phoenix Park is
Association's Clean Water Program announced at the t
MRCTI Annual Meeting in Natchez, MS this September. a � fi
Mayors have worked closely with Walton since 2012 and I)JUMI ; ; ; ;_: !}1}}ii
111
McKnight since 2014 to build the association and create •//' '1 / ' ' ' ' / ' ' ' '
capacity for the Mayors to reduce nutrient loading. MRCTI CAPITOL- MEETING 2017
MRCTI Global River Talks
Sustaining the World's Food-Producing River Basins
International River Basin Agreement to
Mitigate Climate Risk by Achieving
Food and Water Security
,
i
Mississippi River AlS
Cities & Towns Initiative n
An Effort of U.S. Mayors
AgreementtoSustain theWorld's Food-Producing RiverBasins
General Statement: -the implementation of an Integrated Water Resources
More than 35 percent of the world's traditional cropland is located Management(IWRM)approach that takes into account soil
within major river basins comprising 525 million hectares across management,in particular the need to improve regulation
five continents:producing the vast majority of the world's food sup- around flood prone areas subject to urbanization as well as
ply. In conjunction,less than I percent of the world's stock of fresh- limit soil sealing in urban areas by the installing of urban
water resources is accessible by people:of that less than I percent, catch-basins to filter runoff before the effluent is dis-
rivers sustain the most withdraws,and yet,rivers account for 0.006 charged into the nearby water channel;
percent of the world's freshwater. These two ecosystem services -the renaturing of areas in and adjacent to cities on both
provided by rivers make them essential to life an Earth. major waterways and smaller tributaries including the
Intact rivers,streams,and lake ecosystems deliver drinking water, development of city riverfront parks,marshes and wetlands
resilience to floods and drought,and absorb human and natural that use indigenous species to restore ecology,filter urban
pollutants. runoff,protect cities from storm events,and revegetate to
provide cover to watercourses and limit the increase of
Rivers,lakes and aquifers are a direct indicator of the sustainability water temperature:
of urban planning,industrial development,and food production.Un-
sustainable practices in these fields(such as the excessive use of -the restoration and conservation of forests,grasslands,
phytosanitary substances and nutrient inputs)results in pollution and aquatic ecosystems:
that is often drained into surface water and groundwater.
-the safeguarding of an environmental flow regime that will
Therefore,it is imperative that national and local governments as maintain the critical environmental services that rivers
well as organizations and private entities develop capacity and provide to society involving not only protection of low flows
approaches to implementing integrated management of both agricul- but recognition of the role of floods in maintaining many
tural production and protection of aquatic ecosystems.Such initis- river ecosystems:
tives should be undertaken beyond the river channel and its flood-
plain,at the scale of the basin in order to include drainage areas of -creation of floodplain agricultural land uses and infra-
the rivers.Parties to this agreement concur to pursue the following: structure resilient to episodic flooding:
• Protect surface and ground waters to ensure -renaturing of main-stem and tributary river banks
food security and access to drinking water: throughout intense agricultural zones to restore habitat
connectivity,enhance nutrient filtration,reduce excessive
•
Develop a water quantity,quality,and pollutant alert program to sustain adequate environmental flows and reduce the loading of sedimentation and erosion,improve water/moisture
retention:
contaminants and nutrients into rivers,streams,and lakes from
industry,municipalities,and agriculture. -employ sustainable agricultural practices that may
include,but not be limited to a)installation of cover crops
• A water quality and quantity program may be comprised of: and field rotation techniques,b)use of low flow irrigation,
-a robust water monitoring strategy that tracks flows and c)increase in rain-fed and flood resilient agriculture,
the pollutant and nutrient loading from bath point and d)formation of tiered fields,e)planting of riparian
non-point sources across the basin: borders,f)setting of conservation easements between
fields and water bodies,g)introduction of integrated pest
-the expansion of water treatment facilities to increase management techniques,h)substitution of organic
capacity and reduce the use of systems that combine run- fertilizers in place of chemical,and i)the conversion of
off and municipal effluent to maximize the quality of crap land to pasture land.
municipal and industrial discharges;
We will report on our actions and share the progress made
Signatories pursuant to section 4 of the INBD Paris Pact.
Mississippi River Cities B Towns Initiative,International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine,Senegal River Basin
Development Organization,North American Network of Basin Organizations,Brazilian Network of Basin Organizations,Mediterranean
Network of Basin Organizations,African Network of Basin Organizations,European Network of Basin Organizations, Mexican Network
of Basin Organizations,the Nation of Senegal, International Network of Basin Organizations.
Mississippi River I �` �� 'coAmerica
Cities&Towns Initiativer Mug
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An Effort of U.S. Mayors start with people
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Mississipp i River Cities &
Towns Initiative
2017 Federal Policy Platform of
the Mayors along the
Mississippi River
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Restoring Our Natural
and Built Infrastructure '
a plan to improve natio
security, preparedness,
and our economy
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Mississippi River
Cities & Towns Initiative
2017 Policy Platform
MOP
A Plan of the Mayors along the Mississippi River to
Restore the Built and Natural Infrastructure of the Waterway
Creating Jobs, Enhancing National Security, Improving Preparedness
Built and Natural Infrastructure y�
• Fund the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program at $100 million
• Fund Section 319 Water Pollution Control Grants at $200 million
• Support the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Loan
Funds at $2.35 billion combined
• Fund the USGS Water Resources Program at $238 million
• Allocate full funding to the Land & Water Conservation Fund
• Fund America's Marine Highway Grant Program at $10 million
• Improve the Mississippi River Navigation Infrastructure and Ecosystem
Finance Mechanisms
• Allow U.S. Companies to Repatriate overseas funds in infrastructure
• Establish a Resilience Revolving Loan Fund to augment PDM Grants
• Strengthen finance instruments such as the Water and
Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA, 1
TIFIA) Programs
Restoring Our Infrastructure
Infrastructure is the physicality of our economy—it acts as the platform upon which our
markets are based. Where infrastructure is dictates where companies reside, jobs are
generated, and how communities prosper.
Our infrastructure has decayed beyond design life in many cases and is nearing a state of
compromise in others. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has given the nation's
infrastructure a grade of "D." Further, the ASCE states we must spend $1.6 trillion above
current investment to refurbish current infrastructure in place.
The Mississippi River is the linchpin of our nation's domestic freight and water infrastructure.
The waterway transports more than 60 percent of America's corn and soybean exports and 40
percent of the nation's total agricultural output. The River also drains all or a portion of 31
states providing billions of dollars in natural flow regulation services annually. On the
Mississippi River Main Stem, the River's ecology provides 80 billion gallons of fresh water
withdraws to industries each day as well as drinking water to 20 million people in 50 cities.
The majority of the 25,000 miles of commercial waterways currently operated by the Corps of
Engineers feeds into or depends on the Mississippi River Main Stem. According to the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce the waterways and ports of the ten-state Mississippi River Corridor
alone provide over 500,000 jobs generating $83.6 billion in annual revenue.
The natural infrastructure provided by the River ecology provides one of the most important
resources to our manufacturing economy—clean fresh water. The natural infrastructure of the
Mississippi River Delta alone provides $12 to $47 billion in benefits to the economy annually.
Yet, all of these benefits and all of this economy are at risk due to both natural and built
infrastructure decay. The cost of this decay continues to increase. Infrastructure failures on the
Mississippi River lead to closures which costs the nation over $300 million per day in losses.
The Mayors of the Mississippi River propose a $7.93 billion infrastructure investment plan
that supports seven major U.S. industry sectors, creates nearly 100,000 jobs, continues 1.5
million jobs, sustains our ecological assets to power our economy, mitigates for hundreds of
millions of dollars in disaster impacts, and generates $24 billion in economic activity.
The Mississippi River Cities &Towns Initiative (MRCTI) is an association of 75 United States
Mayors on the Mississippi River—America's most essential inland waterway because it is the
world's most agriculturally productive zone, the largest navigable system, and has the largest
global trade footprint of any U.S. inland waterway. The Mississippi River generates over $496.7
billion in annual revenue, directly supports 1.5 million jobs mostly in manufacturing, tourism,
and agriculture. What follows here is the Mayors' recommendation of federal programs to
support and strengthen that will achieve significant return to the American tax payer if directed
toward built and natural infrastructure renewal of the Mississippi River Corridor due to the
waterway's essential status to the nation and the world.
2
Restoring Mississippi River Built and Natural Infrastructure
Creating Jobs, Enhancing National Security, Improving Preparedness
Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program - $100 million
Background:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program
effectively reduces threats to Mississippi River Valley populations and structures at risk by
funding preparation in advance of natural disasters, while also reducing the River region's
reliance upon Federal post-disaster recovery funds. PDM provided over $70 million in pre-
disaster planning and mitigation to 39 states and territories in 2011, saving money by investing
in disaster preparation, when every dollar spent on disaster mitigation yielded four dollars in
benefits. We applaud the Congress' renewed support for the value of PDM as a program that
protects our communities and makes our economies more resilient.
The Administration's FY 2017 budget requested $54.48 million for PDM. This level represents
nearly a fifty percent cut to the program's FY 2016 level. The Mississippi River Valley sustained
an estimated $3 billion in damage from flooding that stretched from Grafton, IL to New Orleans,
LA in late December 2015 and most of January 2016. Disaster impacts along the River continued
throughout 2016 culminating in $10 billion in impacts around the Baton Rouge area in August.
The Issue:
There is a larger degree of disaster frequency creating unprecedented costs. Since the turn of
the millennium, natural disasters have become more severe and more chronic in the United
States increasing from typically 47 per year to 61 over the last decade, recently topping-out at
97 in 2011. Since 2005, the Mississippi River Valley has sustained successive 100, 200, and 500-
year flood events, a 50-year drought, Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Isaac. The 2011 500-year
flood effected multiple locations. Disasters along the Mississippi River have become persistent
and systemic incurring over $50 billion in costs since 2011. Over the last ten years ten or more
disaster declarations have been designated in thirty states while six states have received twenty
or more.
Thus, with such devastating weather events on-going, cutting PDM at this point will have the
basic effect of canceling critical mitigation work before it even begins. Any infrastructure
investment plan must include resources to protect the infrastructure that is repaired and
augmented lest disaster impact costs double or as much as quadruple.
Disaster Resilience Protects Critical National Infrastructure
Therefore,the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Mayors call upon Congress and the
Administration to preserve and fully fund the Federal Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program at $100
million for FY 2018. Further, Mayors urge the Federal Emergency Management Agency to allow
and prioritize for multi-state applications so that state and local governments may meet
impacts at the level they are occurring—the regional level. Disasters are not confined to man-
made jurisdiction and thus resources are best deployed across jurisdictional lines.
3
Section 319 Non-Point Source Water Pollution Control Grants - $200 million
Background:
EPA's Clean Water Act Section 319 Categorical State Grant Program provides grants (known as
"Water Pollution Control Grants") to states for prevention and control measures that improve
water quality. $164.92 million was enacted for FY 2016 for Clean Water Act Nonpoint Source
(Section 319) Grant Program ($5.66 million over the FY 2015 enacted level). This spending is
directed at state and tribal efforts designed to implement water pollution controls and
strengthen nutrient management efforts consistent with the EPA's state nutrient reduction
framework.
The Issue:
Section 319 Water Pollution Control Grants are the only grant within the EPA portfolio
specifically intended to reduce non-point pollutants and toxins from entering waters of the U.S.
The Mayors see nutrient loading as one of the most significant threats facing the water quality
of the Mississippi River and all its aquatic systems that support cities' economies.
MRCTI has held discussions with stakeholders throughout the corridor to determine how
mayors can play a valuable role in reducing nutrient loading into the Mississippi River. Out of
the ten Mississippi River states, only Minnesota and Illinois have set both nutrient reduction
goals and timelines. Two states have set reduction goals, but no timelines, and six states have
neither. States have explained to us that budget constraints are one of the main causes for not
pursuing nutrient reduction more directly. Funding is needed to deploy robust monitoring as
well as conduct the research needed to set credible goals. Thus, mayors are working to see how
they can help states secure more funding resources through the only non-point source grant
program—319. MRCTI's proposal pends on the approach that more revenue generated by our
resources can be placed back into those resources to sustain the valuable environmental
services they provide such as drinking water.
The proposed funding level for FY 2018 increases the spending for 319 grants as compared to
the FY 2016 enacted level in order to begin meeting the needs of states for controlling the
massive nutrient-intensive landscapes they are faced with managing. This resource assists state
in securing the agricultural industry and aiding our manufacturing base because nutrients lost
from the field to our rivers comprise a cost to farmers in nutrient replacement, and a cost to
manufacturers and cities to clean the water before it can be used to power industry. The
combined agriculture and manufacturing economies just in the 246 counties that comprise the
Mississippi River corridor generate $422.6 billion.
Clean Water Grants Sustain our Agricultural Industry and Assist Manufacturing
Therefore, the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Mayors ask Congress to fund the
Section 319 Categorical State Grant Program's Water Pollution Control Grants at $200 million
for FY 2018. Further, Mayors recommend the U.S. EPA partner with the Natural Resource
Conservation Service within USDA to ensure state 319 Grants plans include nutrient reduction
capacities at an influential level. This type of cross-agency collaboration on evaluating grant
applications has precedent in the HUD administered Sustainable Communities Grant Program
where multiple agencies advised on application viability on a number of performance metrics.
4
Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Loan Funds - $2.35 billion
Background:
The President's FY 2017 request proposed an increase to the Drinking Water SRF by almost
twenty percent above the FY 2016 enacted level while at the same time reducing the Clean
Water SRF by nearly 30 percent. The SRFs were funded at a combined level of$2.35 billion in FY
2015. The previous Administration's request represents a $350 million cut to the FY 2015
enacted level of spending.
The clean and drinking water state revolving loan funds have baseline comparisons available to
measure the actual effectiveness of expenditures. States require estimates of pollutants
removed before a project is approved as well as insist projects come with monitoring and
evaluation components. The drinking water loan funds have consistently scored a positive
return on investment. According to a 2009 report, for every dollar spent by Congress on
DWSRF, a $1.82 was realized on the local end. For every dollar spent by states, a return of$5.50
was realized.
The Issue:
For every federal dollar of SRF spending, 21.4% is returned to the federal government in the
form of taxes and on average, 16.5 jobs are created for every 1 million spent through SRF; each
job is estimated to bring about $60,000 in labor income. Infrastructure investments create 16
percent more jobs than equivalent spending on a payroll tax holiday, 40 percent more jobs than
an across-the-board tax cut, and more than five times as many jobs as temporary tax cuts.
Every million dollars of SRF spending results in $2.95 million of input in the U.S. economy. This
is a smart investment complimenting a narrow federal role of ensuring modern, efficient
infrastructure. Since this is a loan program, SRFs leverage resources from all levels of
government and the private sector empowering state and local governments. SRFs are
voluntary reducing regulatory burdens on businesses.
SRFs are an important investment tool as U.S. businesses will have lost $734 billion between
the years 2012 and 2020 due to loss in sales and additional costs stemming from unreliable
water infrastructure if current trends continue.
Twenty million people, fifty cities obtain their drinking water from the Mississippi River; the
infrastructure makes possible these withdraws as well as those for manufacturing.
SRF—Funded Infrastructure Benefits Millions, Sustains our Water Delivery Systems
Therefore, the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Mayors ask Congress to make no
cuts to the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds, and provide $2.35 billion to
the Funds, as it did in FY 2015 with $1.393 billion allocated to drinking water and $957 million
allocated to clean water.
5
USGS Water Resources Program - $238 million
Background:
Nutrient loading and sediment transport and deposition are two critical water-quality issues in
the Mississippi River Basin (MRB). These issues can affect drinking water supplies, aquatic
ecosystem health, manufacturing, utilities, and navigation on the main-stem Mississippi River.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates the National Water Quality Network (NWQN) for
Rivers and Streams to assess the status of—and changes in —water-quality conditions. New
sensor technologies can continuously measure concentrations of nitrate and phosphate, and
estimate suspended-sediment concentrations.
The proposed monitoring network will deliver near real-time estimates of nutrient and
sediment concentrations and loads at key locations across the Mississippi River Basin (MRB).
The data would be delivered using a state-of-the-art mapping and visualization website that
would enable water managers, key stakeholders, and the public to track how nutrients and
sediment move throughout the MRB, evaluate how effective agricultural management
practices are at reducing nutrient and sediment contributions to large inland watersheds and
the main-stem Mississippi River, and provide a significant ability to track the impacts of floods
or contaminant spills on a near real-time basis.
The one-time cost to purchase and install the necessary sensors and infrastructure at the 54
monitoring sites is approximately $5M. Funds to operate and maintain the continuous sensors,
add discrete water-quality sampling at selected sites to verify sensor data, and to analyze,
quality-assure, and deliver information on a website would be about $6M per year.
The Issue:
Nutrient loading is one of the greatest threats to our business lines on the river because it
compromises water quality, impedes manufacturing, and depresses the tourism and recreation
industries that account for the second largest economy on the waterway. States are working to
reduce nutrient loading into the watershed, but require robust monitoring to help them
determine if their reduction practices are working at a regional scale. Hundreds of millions of
dollars are being spent across the landscape on this issue blindly if there is not systemic
monitoring in place to measure the effectiveness of nutrient reduction projects.
The previous Administration's FY 2017 budget called for$227 million for the USGS Water
Resources Program. Adding $11 million to that figure will allow for deployment of a nutrient
monitoring net as well as one year of sensor operation funding. $6 million being added to the
USGS baseline budget will allow for ongoing operation of the sensors in outlying years. This
support will allow for the measurement of nutrient reduction activity across at least ten states.
Real-Time Water Quality is Essentials to Disaster Response, and Targeted Investment
Therefore, Mayors urge Congress to fund the USGS Water Resources Program at $238 million
for FY 2018. Robust monitoring at this level will allow accurate measurement of infrastructure
project effectiveness.
6
Allocate Full Funding to the Land & Water Conservation Fund
Background:
Congress authorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to reserve natural areas,
wildlife habitat, and provide Americans with access to valuable outdoor experiences and
enjoyment. Conservation has multi-lateral benefits to our economy as it sustains natural
resources, health of public lands assets, quality of life enhancements, and economic growth.
The conservation, outdoor recreation and historic preservation sectors contribute $1.06 trillion
annually to the American economy, supporting 9.4 million jobs (1 out of every 15 U.S.jobs).
The tourism industry along the Mississippi River specifically comprises the second-largest
economy generating $41.4 billion in annual revenues supporting more than 600,000 jobs.
The outdoor recreation economy within the ten-state corridor of the Mississippi River by itself
generates $109.4 billion in consumer expenditures supporting 1.1 million jobs. Confining our
analysis to just areas within the vicinity of the Mississippi River, the 113 counties along the
lower River benefited from 38 million recreational trips generating $1.3 billion in expenditures
in 2011 providing 54,000 jobs for just outdoor recreation.
Looking at one example of return along the Mississippi River, the LWCF has provided funding of
nearly$5 million for acquisitions for the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge (IA, IL,
MN and WI), and visitors to this refuge generate $226 million annually to the local and regional
economy.
Benefits of the LWCF go beyond just the tourism industry. According to the Trust for Public
Lands, every $1 invested from the LWCF returned $4 in economic value from natural resource
goods and services.
The Issue:
On average, about $900 million in annual royalty payments are placed into the LWCF from
Outer Continental Shelf energy resource extraction The money is intended to supplement
water quality benefits as well as restore forested areas and wetlands feeding into the
Mississippi River that help clean the water and act as buffer zones to disasters. However,
Congress typically diverts accumulated funds to other purposes creating a conservation project
backlog of nearly $30 billion.
Another asset of the LWCF is its diverse spending allowing for a number of efforts to be funded
for state and local government facilities, urban parks, and even private owners of forest land
who want to voluntarily conserve their forests.
Collected Conservation Funds can Strengthen our Economy Supporting Millions of Jobs
Therefore, Mayors urge Congress to allocate $400 million in discretionary funding and $500
million in permanent funding as part of a multi-year strategy leading to full permanent funding
for the LWCF.
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America's Marine Highway Program Grant Account - $10 million
Background:
Consisting of over 29,000 nautical miles of navigable waterways, America's Marine Highway
System serves as an extension of the surface transportation system and promotes short sea
transportation. Two Marine Highway System routes (the M-55 and M-35 Corridors) incorporate
the Mississippi River. Those two corridors are vital components of the nation's inland
waterway system and central to maintaining our ability to efficiently transport a significant
portion of the region's agricultural and other commodity exports to the Gulf.
America's Marine Highway Program is a Department of Transportation-led program to expand
the use of our Nation's navigable waterways and to relieve landside congestion by increasing
the efficiency of the surface transportation system. The Program is administered by the
Maritime Administration (MARAD), which collaborates with stakeholders from all
transportation sectors to improve and strengthen the U.S. marine transportation system,
including building a U.S. maritime system for the 21st Century.
In 2014, $1.7 trillion worth of U.S. goods moved through the nation's ports. The largest U.S.
port ranked by tonnage is the Port of South Louisiana along the Mississippi River. Indeed, the
nation's only trade surplus in agricultural goods is made possible by port infrastructure of the
Mississippi. Waterways and ports of the ten-state Mississippi River Corridor alone provide over
500,000 jobs generating$83.6 billion in annual revenue.
The Issue:
Regardless of the infrastructure and economy described above, containerized freight, the most
ubiquitous medium of freight movement, is almost non-existent on the nation's inland
waterway system. Of the 30 million containers that came into the United States in 2014, almost
none of them moved on the Mississippi River. Thanks to a broad public/private partnership
brokered by the Mayors of the Mississippi River, Inland River Port &Terminal Association, and
the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association container movement is returning to the River.
Our inland ports and waterways cannot be ignored and are essential to our economic future:
- Our population will grow from 319 million in 2014, to 400 million by 2051;
- The movement of freight is expected to increase by 40 percent over the next 30 years;
- As much as 10 percent of the cost of goods can be attributed to transportation costs;
infrastructure inefficiencies and failures coupled with freight bottlenecks increase these
costs to our businesses constraining our economy.
Bottom line, there is not enough surface transportation infrastructure to accommodate
projected growth in U.S. freight demand and it is cost prohibitive to build-out roads and rail to
meet the pending mandate when there is 40 percent of unused shipping capacity provided by
our inland waterways system.
Inland Port and Waterway Infrastructure is Vital to U.S. Economic Competitiveness
Therefore, Mayors call upon Congress to support the Marine Highway Program by funding the
grant account at $10 million.
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Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Prog - $4.1 billion, UMRR - $33 million
Background:
The Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) is a long-term plan of navigation
improvements and ecological restoration that benefits the entire inland waterway system.
NESP aims to reduce commercial traffic delays while restoring, protecting, and enhancing the
environment. NESP implements an integrated, dual-purpose plan that progresses toward
economic and environmental sustainability of the River. NESP can advantageously build from
the existing Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program (UMRR, $33 million); and then, UMRR
can help ensure continuous benefits after NESP's 15-year duration has completed.
As authorized by Congress, NESP includes $1.948 billion in navigation improvements and $256
million for targeted, cost-effective efficiency measures while at the same time providing for
$1.717 billion toward a 15-year ecosystem restoration program that includes an additional
$10.42 million annually for critical monitoring.
The Issue:
The domestic movement of materials and commodities is pivotal to our nation's economy and
the Mississippi River's built and natural infrastructure contribute to that obligation beyond any
inland waterway. Yet, lock outages have increased 700 percent nationally over the past decade
and ecosystem degradation has played a significant role in exacerbating disaster impacts. There
is a cost-effective program ready to address these issues if implemented as authorized.
• Equipping the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the data needed: The feasibility study for
NESP, which was approved by the chief of engineers and authorized by Congress, outlines
specific incremental steps for navigation efficiency; the first one being to complete
construction and implementation of non-structural and targeted measures. Following non-
structural and efficiency measure implementation, economic and efficacy studies will guide
future action on lock construction ensuring more public benefit and less government waste.
• Providing for both built and natural infrastructure: The NESP authority requires the Corps to
spend near-equally towards ecosystem restoration and navigation improvements.
• Facilitating long-term benefits: The NESP feasibility study promises ongoing restoration
funding beyond the life of navigation projects. For as long as navigation continues on the
Mississippi River, restoration and monitoring programs will be necessary to protect the
environmental services our economy depends on.
NESP Provides Maximum Economic Benefits by Addressing Built and Natural infrastructure
Therefore, Mayors urge Congress to fully fund NESP ensuring a 1) persistent support of our
natural infrastructure: NESP promises nearly$2 billion for ecosystem restoration over the life of
the program. This component is essential to our manufacturing, water supply, and tourism
economies. Thus, it is imperative this work continue unhindered through the life of the program
and beyond. 2) Efficient and tailored federal role: It is important Congress empower the Corps
of Engineers to clarify new institutional arrangements with USGS and other partners to ensure
there is no disruption in long-term monitoring and restoration as NESP is implemented.
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Funding Mechanisms to Restore Mississippi River Infrastructure
Creating Jobs, Enhancing National Security, Improving Preparedness
Allow U.S. Companies to Repatriate Overseas Funds in Infrastructure
Background:
The burden of restoring our nation's infrastructure should not be placed wholly on the
American taxpayer, but should include a number of innovative financing tools that compliment
federal investment. Further, federal investment itself can be tailored and efficient for maximum
return to the taxpayer.
American companies hold more than $2 trillion in undistributed earnings outside the U.S.; if
only half that investment were returned to American soil, $150 billion could be infused into our
infrastructure which would add $189.5 billion to our GDP in only the first few years.
U.S. Companies that reported water risk in the Mississippi River Basin to the Climate Disclosure
Project in 2016 comprised $1.35 trillion in market cap and withdrew as much water as is used
by 56.21 million Americans annually. Such corporate presence in the Basin creates tremendous
leverage that Mississippi River Basin companies could bring to infrastructure investments.
The Issue:
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, approximately 19 percent of U.S. GDP
would be required to bring our national infrastructure to a state of good repair. But, the idea is
to add to our economy's performance, not impede it. So, other investment beyond government
is necessary as such a percentage of our GDP would require involvement from much of our
economy to realize.
It is becoming more expensive for companies to meet their stock repurchase and dividend
obligations with so much of their liquidity stockpiled overseas adding to cash flow costs.
Further, supranational tax agencies are becoming more aggressive in pursuing revenue.
Unlike the tax holiday of 2004, under an infrastructure-driven plan, companies would buy
infrastructure bonds issued by state and local governments within a specified time in the
amount of at least 15% of the repatriated funds. Companies would not be permitted to use the
repatriated funds toward shareholder-friendly actions, nor mergers and acquisitions.
An opportunity to generate return on investment in our nation's infrastructure through
municipal bonds provides an attractive alternative to losing money through taxes. Also,
infrastructure bonds typically benefit from lower default rates and higher yields than
comparable corporate debt. Infrastructure-driven repatriation can offer U.S. firms an
opportunity to invest and realize return.
Tax Reform can Equip the U.S. Economy with a Crucial Infrastructure Investment Tool
Therefore, Mayors recommend setting a path for repatriation of overseas holdings into tax
exempt municipal bonds.
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Establish a Resilience Revolving Loan Fund to augment PDM Grants
Background:
In 2012, disasters cut into the total revenue of the Mississippi River economy by 8.75 percent in
actual losses, to say nothing about ongoing drains on the economy that metastasize and
multiply over time. On average over the last five years, disasters are costing the Mississippi
River economy close to 3 percent annually. But, the impacts are actually much larger than this
since disasters tend to spike losses in the economy and have on-going impacts that can take
years to neutralize.
The multiplier effect of disasters is exactly why investment in preparedness and mitigation can
payback as much as $5.00 for every dollar spent. More importantly, if the investment is in the
form of a loan over a grant, ROI to the taxpayer can be improved even more.
The Issue:
Resilience has considerable national security implications since the security of our nation is
dependent on the ability of our society to reduce effects and respond. Response depends on
our economy's ability to sustain and recover from shocks.
Since the Mississippi River System (as described above) is so integral to the U.S. economy both
domestically and globally and sustains so many jobs—the repercussions to our national security
require explicit attention.
A Resilient Communities Revolving Loan Fund (RRF) is a proposed tool to provide another
investment leveraging option for infrastructure. State Revolving Loan Funds for clean water and
drinking water provide a minimum return of almost $2.00 for every dollar spent. A similar
instrument can be established for a broader application toward preparedness activities.
Moreover, a resilience loan fund can directly compliment an already existing grant fund. The
key, however is applying the RRFs in such a way that revenue is generated to repay loans.
Resilience activity is not necessarily tied to end-user fees like water infrastructure projects are;
and yet, resilience investment adds to the economy. To capture this economic benefit,
resilience investments can be linked to infrastructure that does include user fees. RRFs can also
be linked to economic improvement zones where benefits are colligated into direct returns.
Resilience and Preparedness within the Mississippi River Corridor Enhance National Security
Therefore, Mayors urge the creation of a Resilient Communities Revolving Loan Fund to
compliment the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant program and create greater return on
investment around making our infrastructure more adaptive to more frequent disasters.
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Strengthen finance instruments such as the Water and Transportation
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA, TIFIA) Programs
Background:
WIFIA and TIFIA are designed to fill market gaps and leverage substantial private co-investment
by providing supplemental and subordinate capital.
WIFIA and TIFIA were created because state and local governments that sought to finance
large-scale transportation projects with tolls and other forms of user-backed revenue can
encounter difficulty obtaining financing at reasonable rates due to some of the uncertainties
associated with these revenue streams especially in the early years of project implementation.
Innovative revenue sources, such as proceeds from tax increment financing, are difficult to
predict. WIFIA and TIFIA credit assistance is often available on more advantageous terms than
in the financial market making it possible to obtain financing for needed projects when it might
not otherwise be possible.
The credit assistance available through these innovative finance programs includes secured
loans, loan guarantees, and a standby line of credit.
The Issue:
WIFIA is an EPA administered program; TIFIA is managed by the Department of Transportation.
Both agencies require empowerment around these innovations to create maximum
effectiveness and benefit. Thus, the process for WIFIA and TIFIA needs to be as transparent and
as predictable as possible. Interest rates should be tied to U.S. Treasury securities. The
programs can be better used by more applicants if the programs are offered more than once a
year. TIFIA includes a three-stage application process that provides a secure template from
which to operate.
WIFIA can be leveraged with SRF resources coordinating and compounding return. That is why
it is important that these programs have ample clarity and facilitation around how they can be
coupled with other federal options. Indeed, much of this entire plan functions on the strategy
of linking seemingly disparate federal programs into a multi-lateral infrastructure investment
strata designed to maintain a discrete federal role while encouraging a growing private
financing opportunity.
Existing Federal Finance Programs can Facilitate Market Solutions
Therefore, Mayors call for the strengthening of EPA's WIFIA and DOT's TIFIA to assist in the
private sector financing of large-scale infrastructure projects in several sectors of the economy.
Epilogue: Applying Current Levels of Federal Investment Smarter
The plan presented here emphasizes better spending of current federal resources adding only a
total of$65 million across seven of the eight programmatic spending lines that are included in
the plan. NESP is recommended for funding at the level authorized by Congress.
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