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storm). This is a monumental undertaking by the Corps that has included the input of the industry, through GICA, to make sure it’s sized correctly and navigation interest are taken into account while it’s being built. We also asked the State of Louisiana, the Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration, to speak at the con- vention about their master plan for restoring the wetlands and coastal region of Louisiana, which may have some impact on navigation and our waterway. We thought it would be a good idea to get out in front with those state partners rather than finding out a year or two from now that their plan is going to impact the waterway. One of the biggest challenges we face on the Gulf Coast is hurricanes and storms and surge. GICA also acts as a leader on the joint hurricane team that’s been set up with the Corps, the Coast Guard and NOAA. Pre-storm, we work with all of our members and these government agen- cies to get out of the waterway and make sure we can find safe-haven. After a storm passes we work closely with those same partners to open up the waterway as quickly as possible. It’s in all of our best interest to get that going quickly because many industries depend on the com- modities shipped on the waterway. Beyond representing members in these projects, what other goals do you have for GICA? One of the things our members truly value is the flow of information and much of my time is spent reviewing con- ditions on the waterway and making sure our members are aware of trouble spots, like shoaling conditions, marine casualties or planned closures of the waterways. Getting that information out to our members and users of the waterways is important. One of the things I want to do is refine our system for accomplishing this and make it very user friendly and comprehensive. This way people won’t always have the information pushed at them, but they can pull what they want, or tailor what information they need to see. MN INSIGHTS 14 MN October 2010 (Photos courtesy GICA) A tow on the Gulf Intracoastal Canal
