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Re: Could Trump Reopen The NWP to Eureka?
Author: no problem
Date: 09-23-2019 - 19:51
Applying my @#$%&'s Advocate hat - you know, there are some things that Trump could do, that might rattle Congress but if done carefully (follow administrative procedures carefully and to the letter) could make a little difference. None would help NWP.
One thing is that he could have DOT specifically dump a bunch of money into a Richardon Grove Bypass on 101. That would let full-size truck use 101 all the way to Eureka without bouncing off redwood trees too close to the road. The project went down the tubes recently because the money available would only fund some minor improvements, and even those would probably hard some big redwoods in the park so no dice; a bypass (like Willits or the Redwood NP bypass between Eureka and Crescent City) would avoid that problem. I could see Congress trying to cut funding for that, but if done very carefully it could dump the whole thing in Congress' lap right at election time, and if there's anything that will get a politician to accept something they don't like it's the prospect of having to defend a locally unpopular decision (working against funding a way to get big (lumber) trucks out of the Grove) at election time.
The changes currently in progress to Corps of Engineers river regulations will go a long way toward getting them out of the way of upstream land uses. Won't help much in CA, though, since state regulations are at least as stringent and will stay that way. Also, as mentioned before, for endangered species. And neither the Corps nor the endangered species laws are preemptive - that would require Congress' agreement so no chance unless the House goes R again after the 2020 election.
None of that would help NWP. But FRA could dangle some money in front of whoever replaces NCRA to get at least the south end fixed up, on the condition that it serve freight (not just SMART) especially resurrected (?) lumber mills. Unless the old Redwood Valley mill is still around, the closest lumber mills now are probably in Oregon or Lincoln (is there one in the Redding area?). FRA does have a small financing pot for helping (politically desirable) rail projects. Normally, it goes to private railroads that already have a market the work would serve, but if there's enough clout maybe they could shovel some NWP's way? Would take a *lot* of clout, probably more than the North Coast politicians (most if not all of whom are the "wrong color") could muster.
Unfortunately, those suggestions would actually make improvements in California. That's verboten. Oh well.
One thing is that he could have DOT specifically dump a bunch of money into a Richardon Grove Bypass on 101. That would let full-size truck use 101 all the way to Eureka without bouncing off redwood trees too close to the road. The project went down the tubes recently because the money available would only fund some minor improvements, and even those would probably hard some big redwoods in the park so no dice; a bypass (like Willits or the Redwood NP bypass between Eureka and Crescent City) would avoid that problem. I could see Congress trying to cut funding for that, but if done very carefully it could dump the whole thing in Congress' lap right at election time, and if there's anything that will get a politician to accept something they don't like it's the prospect of having to defend a locally unpopular decision (working against funding a way to get big (lumber) trucks out of the Grove) at election time.
The changes currently in progress to Corps of Engineers river regulations will go a long way toward getting them out of the way of upstream land uses. Won't help much in CA, though, since state regulations are at least as stringent and will stay that way. Also, as mentioned before, for endangered species. And neither the Corps nor the endangered species laws are preemptive - that would require Congress' agreement so no chance unless the House goes R again after the 2020 election.
None of that would help NWP. But FRA could dangle some money in front of whoever replaces NCRA to get at least the south end fixed up, on the condition that it serve freight (not just SMART) especially resurrected (?) lumber mills. Unless the old Redwood Valley mill is still around, the closest lumber mills now are probably in Oregon or Lincoln (is there one in the Redding area?). FRA does have a small financing pot for helping (politically desirable) rail projects. Normally, it goes to private railroads that already have a market the work would serve, but if there's enough clout maybe they could shovel some NWP's way? Would take a *lot* of clout, probably more than the North Coast politicians (most if not all of whom are the "wrong color") could muster.
Unfortunately, those suggestions would actually make improvements in California. That's verboten. Oh well.
