I & M Canal body plans for the future
President signs Weller legislation authorizing $20 million in funding
Joliet-Morris-Utica, IL,
Oct 17 -
U.S. Representative Jerry Weller (R-Morris) and Canal Corridor Association President Ana Koval today called the recent signing into law of Congressman Weller’s legislation the most significant development regarding the Illinois and Michigan Canal since President Reagan signed the National Heritage Corridor Act of 1984, making the I & M Canal the nation’s first Heritage Corridor. On Friday, President Bush signed Weller’s legislation reauthorizing the I & M Heritage Corridor, and designating the private Canal Corridor Association as its local coordinating entity.
“The I&M Canal is a key part of our history, and a key part of our job-creating strategy,” Weller said. “With my legislation, we now have the opportunity to invest $20 million into job creation along the Illinois and Michigan Canal corridor.”
Weller’s legislation allows for the CCA to be the governing authority over the canal. Previously, the corridor was managed by federal appointees. With the change, the CCA can now obtain private funding for the canal. The law allows the CCA to receive $10 million in federal funding, and requires those funds to be matched by private dollars, making possible $20 million in total funding.
Weller’s legislation was included as part of a broader bill affecting Heritage Areas around the country. The I&M bill had passed the House on three occasions, only to be held up in the Senate. When the measure passed again most recently, Weller worked vigorously to ensure the Senate took up the bill before the House finished its legislative work in September.
Tuesday, Weller and Koval commemorated the reauthorization with stops along the canal route, including Canalport Plaza in Morris. The tour culminated at the LaSalle County Historical Society Museum in Utica. The facility houses the desk on which President Reagan signed the famous 1984 measure.
“It’s fitting we mark this occasion by noting how it all began,” Weller said. “President Reagan’s signing of the law making the I & M Canal the nation’s first Heritage Corridor paved the way. We’re now able to build upon that success, and work to ensure a link to our past is preserved for the future.”
