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Cowlitz County News
Protecting Jobs and
Increasing Job Opportunities:
Channel Deepening:
Each year, about 2,000 ocean-going ships transit the Columbia River,
carrying $12.5 billion in imports and exports and generating thousands
of jobs in our region. To preserve those jobs and keep our economy
strong, during his first year in office Rep. Baird helped secure
federal authorization for the $180 million dollar channel deepening
of the Columbia River. Since then, he has obtained $2 million in
appropriations for the Army Corps of Engineers to begin ecosystem
restoration features of the project. Working together with Senator
Patty Murray, he recently secured $9 million to begin the deepening
work itself.
Steelscape:
When international steel trade agreements threatened the viability
of the Steelscape mill in Kalama, Congressman Baird stepped in to
protect hundreds of local, family wage jobs. Working with the Office
of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Baird secured exclusions
on imported steel for use in the Kalama plant and secured a tariff
exclusion for Steelscape. This will result in savings of over $2
million for the company, allowing the company to expand its operations,
creating more jobs in Cowlitz County.
Longview Aluminum:
Southwest Washington is not immune to corporate abuse of employees
and customers. When parent company, Michigan Avenue Partners (MAP)
and Longview Aluminum agreed not to take power from the Bonneville
Power Administration (BPA) during the 2001 energy price crisis in
the Northwest, the company laid off hundreds of workers. Congressman
Baird met with the displaced workers and then contacted BPA, Longview
Aluminum, McCook Metals, and Alcoa to encourage the companies to
live up to their contractual obligations to their former employees.
As a result, many of the employees received severance package benefits.
Unfortunately, MAP declared bankruptcy before it ever produced an
ingot of aluminum, but after taking more than $200 million from Northwest
electricity ratepayers. Congressman Baird has called for an investigation
of this and is now working with the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation to assist other former Longview Aluminum workers. Congressman
Baird also contacted BPA to ensure that the money paid to MAP during
the power shut down is accounted for accurately.
Sardine Fishery:
Congressman Baird, along with Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell,
protected sardine fishery jobs in Pacific and Cowlitz Counties by
urging the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) to increase
the allowable allocation of the sardine fishery to Washington, Oregon,
and Northern California. As a result, the PFMC increased the allocation
of the sardine fishery to our region preventing the loss of seasonal
workers, creating new jobs, and encouraging business expansion and
development in Southwest Washington.
Raspberry Farmers:
When the price of raspberries dropped and local raspberry farmers
faced unfair market competition from international suppliers, Congressman
Baird helped secure $10.11 million for Washington state as part of
a national specialty crop bailout, which provided as much as $125,
000 per farm. Many farmers and their families were facing difficult
financial choices and the funding helped them keep their farms.
Career and Technical Education:
Congressman Baird
knows the importance of career technical education (CTE) in providing a
well educated and skilled workforce in America.
That’s why he founded the Congressional Career and Technical Education
Caucus in 2007 and continues to advocate for career and technical
education programs.
He’s fought for for students who are juggling work and classes and have
been unable to qualify for student loans because they are part time
students.
He’s supported the WIRED Grant Program awarded to Lewis, Pacific and
Thurston Counties to promote career technical education programs.
In recognition of his efforts, the Association for Career and Technical
Education honored Representative Baird as 2008 Policymaker of the Year.
Improving Transportation
and Reducing Congestion:
State Route 432:
Congressman Baird, working with Senator Patty Murray, secured $2
million for improvements to the State Route 432 interchange at I-5.
The project will install dual left turn lanes, traffic signal modifications
and the beginning of the existing two-way left turn lane east of
Columbia Blvd. The addition of these lanes will reduce the congestion
that currently burdens both highways and railways.
Previously, Congressman Baird helped secure $1 million for the I-5/SR-432
Interchange Added Access Decision Report. This study will identify
improvements to be made to the interchange to increase public safety
and enhance multi-modal traffic to and from the Port of Longview.
Lexington Bridge:
Congressman Baird helped secure $6 million to construct a bridge
that crosses the Cowlitz River between Interstate 5 (I-5) at milepost
42 and the Sparks Drive/State Route 411 (SR-411) intersection in
the Lexington area, north of the cities of Kelso and Longview. This
bridge enables area residents in Lexington to directly access
I-5, relieving traffic that now must transit through residential
areas to gain access to the freeway. The bridge also will allow for
the redevelopment of West Kelso, where SR-4 and SR-411 intersect.
Port of Longview:
In order to increase freight mobility for goods being shipped to
and from the Port of Longview and to enhance public safety, Congressman
Baird helped secure a $2 million grant for the Port of Longview to
fund improvements to its Industrial Rail Corridor. The $2 million
represents the last piece of a $20 million package for the rail corridor
to serve the 300 acre industrial park next to the Port. The added
infrastructure investment will make the Port more attractive for
new industries and businesses to locate in Cowlitz County bringing
more jobs and economic development to the area.
Increasing Public
Safety and Combating Crime:
Methamphetamine:
As the founder of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine
Congressman Baird has worked diligently to provide Washington communities
with funding to fight the production and use of methamphetamine.
Congressman Baird's efforts led to the inclusion of Clark,
Cowlitz, and Lewis Counties in the Northwest High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area program. Through this program, and the Congressman's
leadership on the statewide Washington State Methamphetamine Initiative,
more than $11 million in Federal dollars have come to our region
to combat methamphetamine use and clean meth contaminated sites.
Improving Federal Law Enforcement:
As Southwest Washington communities continue their rapid growth, we
must make sure that law enforcement framework is in place to deter
crime and hold criminals accountable for their actions. Local law
enforcement approached Congressman Baird with concerns that a greater
federal law enforcement presence was needed in Southwest Washington.
With recent growth, Clark County became the fifth largest in our state,
yet the surrounding region had no full-time federal magistrate or
prosecutor to investigate serious federal crimes such as bank robbery
and other offenses. The nearest federal district court and U.S.
Assistant Attorney from which a warrant could be obtained was in
Tacoma, 140 miles north of Vancouver. Because of this difficulty,
federal crimes committed in Southwest Washington were often prosecuted
under state or local laws, and at lower numbers, failing to hold
criminals fully accountable for crimes they committed.
Congressman Baird worked with local law enforcement officials and the
U.S. Attorney for Western Washington to bring an enhanced federal law
enforcement presence to Southwest Washington. On November 10, 2003 the
Federal Investigative Center officially opened in Vancouver. The new
center provides a centralized office for federal agents from the U.S.
Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF); Bureau
of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA); U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection
Service into a single Vancouver headquarters. By having a single,
coordinated location to work from in our area, these agencies can share
information and resources and will be much more successful in pursuing
cases.
In addition, Congressman Baird is working to bring a federal courthouse to Vancouver to provide the facility and support service for federal agents to better protect the community.
Mount St. Helens:
To protect the safety of communities located near Mount Saint Helens,
Congressman Baird worked to secure an additional $1.5 million for the
United States Geological Survey to monitor and research volcanic
activity in Mount St. Helens. As Mount Saint Helens has come back to
life in recent months, this funding will increase the safety of
citizens living near the area and help protect commercial aircraft.
Previously, Congressman Baird helped secure $375,000 to control
sediment flows in the Cowlitz and Toutle Rivers. Following the eruption
of Mount St. Helens in 1980, sediment control on these rivers became
necessary to protect infrastructure, homes, and the environment.
Without measures to control the sediment, millions of dollars in damage
to private property and public infrastructure could take place. Given
the recent seismic activity of Mount St. Helens, Congressman Baird
remains concerned about sediment control and continues to monitor the
situation and work closely with the Corps of Engineers to ensure public
safety.
Making Government More Effective and Efficient:
Streamlining the environmental permitting process:
Protecting the environment is always a priority, but regulatory processing and
permitting have become unnecessarily costly and time consuming. In recent years,
Congressman Baird has organized a series of meetings throughout Southwest Washington
to bring local business leaders, farmers, builders, ports and others together
with federal, state and local officials to improve the permitting process. As
a direct result, several federal and state agencies have made significant progress
in streamlining permits, reducing application backlogs and complexity, and improving
coordination to expedite the process. There is still work to be done, and much
room for improvement, but Congressman Baird will continue to work with the consumers
of permits and agency representatives to push for further improvements in efficiency
and savings in time and money.
Port of Kalama:
The Port of Kalama contacted Congressman Baird when it was having difficulty
obtaining a routine maintenance dredging permit. Without dredging, the port would
have been too shallow to provide service to deep draft vessels causing the port
to shut down, lose large vessel business, and hundreds of longshore and other
jobs. Congressman Baird and Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell contacted
NOAA Fisheries and were successful in expediting the permit. As a result, the
port was able to complete maintenance dredging on time, protecting hundreds of
jobs.
Woodland Grant:
The City of Woodland applied for a Housing and Urban Development
(HUD)/Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of $300,000 to help fund
a new water treatment plant. The City also applied for a HUD/CDBG for
$65,000 to help fund the installation of a pipe system. The City was
awarded the grants, but faced some administrative red tape and the
grant funding was delayed approximately three years. The City contacted
Congressman Baird to ask for assistance in obtaining the grant funding.
Congressman Baird contacted the agencies and was able to expedite the
release of funds to reimburse the City of Woodland.
Expediting Fish Recovery Projects:
When Fish First, a non-profit volunteer group dedicated to restoring
our fish habitat and runs, encountered persistent delays and
difficulties in getting permits to conduct their stream restoration and
culvert replacement projects, Congressman Baird personally visited
their projects and saw the great work they do. A fisherman himself, the
Congressman offered to help and brought Fish First members together
with the regulatory agency to find a solution. As a result, the
projects were approved and Fish First obtained a first of its kind
permit allowing them to do many future projects on a much more rapid
and expedited timetable. Most importantly of all, fish counts that once
showed relatively few returning fish now count in the tens of thousands
with returning numbers and reds growing every year.
Ensuring Equal Access to Mental Health Services
As a mental health professional, and one of only two clinical
psychologists serving in Congress, Congressman Baird has firsthand
knowledge of the impact and importance of mental health treatment and
the inequities that often exist in funding and consideration for mental
health treatments. In order to correct this imbalance Congressman Baird
was a leading advocate of the bipartisan Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act which became law on October 3, 2008. The law prohibits health plans from imposing time limits and
similar restrictions on the treatment of mental health disorders, if
similar restrictions are not imposed on medical and surgical benefits.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that this will lead to
less than a two percent increase in premiums, and it will remove one
of the barriers that keep millions of Americans from receiving the
mental health care they need.
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