Recognizing 10th Anniversary Of The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association

Floor Speech

Recognizing 10th Anniversary Of The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 465 and to thank the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. BROWN, for introducing this important bill. I have had the good fortune of working with the distinguished gentleman on other legislation, and I can say that on this and other issues, he serves his constituents well.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 465 acknowledges the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, and it recognizes the importance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to recreational, commercial, and military vessels and to the history and quality of life of the citizens of the United States.

Having a congressional district with over 75 miles along the Intracoastal Waterway, I know firsthand its importance to South Florida. It serves as a crucial thoroughfare for the two ports in my district, the Port of Palm Beach and Port Everglades. In fact, the Army Corps of Engineers reported that over 2.5 million tons of freight traffic was shipped along the Intracoastal Waterway in 2007 alone, including commodities such as wheat, corn, and soybeans.

But the Intracoastal Waterway provides Americans with more than just economic activity. Just go out on the water any day of the week in my congressional district and you'll see recreational boaters traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway. Boating is an iconic symbol for South Florida, and the Intracoastal Waterway serves as an important part of that. Simply put: South Florida would not be the boating capital of the world without it.

I also want to take a moment and commend the work of the Florida Inland Navigation District, or FIND. They maintain our state's portion of the Intracoastal Waterway, from Jacksonville to Miami. Created in 1927 by the Florida State Legislature, FIND is a special taxing district charged with helping to maintain the Intracoastal Waterway with the Army Corps of Engineers. They are an important entity and perform an often unheralded job, so I wanted to take this moment to commend the men and women employed by FIND for helping to maintain one of Florida's most important natural resources.

In closing, I want to again thank the gentleman from South Carolina for introducing House Resolution 465, urge my colleagues to support its passage.

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