Army Corps’ budget includes $200K for Rye Harbor dredging

RYE -- U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen on Wednesday reported the Army Corps of Engineers included $200,000 in its fiscal year 2020 budget to move forward with dredging plans for Rye Harbor. The Corps' budget was released following the unveiling of President Trump's FY20 budget proposal to Congress earlier this week.

"I’m glad to see the Corps prioritize dredging of Rye Harbor in their annual budget - the economic vitality of our local businesses and fishing industry are at stake due to the shoaling," said Shaheen, D-N.H.

The senator said she wrote a letter to the Corps in October outlining the urgent need for dredging and calling for a prioritization of the project. On Wednesday, she personally advocated to R.D. James, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works and commander of the Corps, about how critical dredging is for Rye Harbor.

"I’m glad to see the Corps prioritize dredging of Rye Harbor in their annual budget - the economic vitality of our local businesses and fishing industry are at stake due to the shoaling," Shaheen said.

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen helped procure nearly $7 billion for the Corps to complete necessary infrastructure projects in New Hampshire and across the country in FY19 funding legislation the president signed into law in September. In October, Shaheen helped secure approval of mitigation efforts at Hampton-Seabrook Harbor in the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, which the president signed into law.