GMDSS - The GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) Task Force met in Washington DC on 11 August. GMDSS is a major effort to modernize the USCG stations, provide added capabilities and better communications for enhanced Coast Guard efforts under the Rescue 21 Program. CG Groups Eastern Shore and Atlantic City are expected to be operational by the end of calendar year 2005. By the middle of CY 06, Groups St Petersberg, Mobile, Seattle and Port Angeles will be on-line. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that, for the 2006 boating season, VHF-FM radios should be equipped with the new emergency DSC (Digital Selective Calling) feature. With this feature, when the DSC button is pressed, an emergency broadcast is automatically sent over channel 70. Even better, if your VHF is interfaced to your GPS, your boat's Lat/Lon location will be sent as well.
Federal Legislation - HR3, the "Highway Bill," was signed by the President on 10 August. The bill has been two years in the process and required House/Senate conference to resolve the many differences in the bill and its total funding ($286B). Included in the bill is the reauthorization of the Wallop/Breaux program which returns our tax dollars on gasoline and fishing equipment to boating programs. Included are State Boating Safety Grants, Clean Vessel Act (pump outs), Boating Infrastructure (Transient slips), Wetlands restoration and Sport Fish Restoration. The reauthorization will recover $110M of boater tax dollars which was being diverted to the general treasury. With the capture of the fuel tax, total funding for boating programs will rise to approximately $570M per year.
The Energy Bill - Congress passed and the President has signed the Energy bill. This does not portend more fuel or lower gas prices, at least in the near term. It does provide huge tax breaks and subsidies for the energy providers to encourage more production. For those navigating the Delaware there may be some concern as the bill does ease the way for more imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by giving federal regulators final say over import terminal locations. Specifically, the legislation provides the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with exclusive authority to authorize the citing, construction, expansion, or operation of LNG facilities located ashore or in state waters. We are not sure of what immediate affect this might have on the proposed Delaware citing but no doubt will have some impact.
NOAA Weather - While we believe Santorum's bill is dead, we have just learned an effort by the weather providers is being made to resurrect this. Lobbyists have been hired and will attempt to include the bill as part of other legislation. Stay tuned.
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