Newport pursues Back Bay funding

June Casagrande

The city has launched a no-holds-barred campaign to get $24.5 million

in federal funding for Back Bay dredging.

It’s a multitiered attack: Mayor Tod Ridgeway will visit U.S. Rep.

Chris Cox in Washington D.C., on Feb. 25 in a plea for help. The City

Council on Tuesday passed a resolution to ask for the federal

government’s assistance. And, because of that resolution, the city

this week sent letters to California senators Dianne Feinstein and

Barbara Boxer urging their continued support.

“We’re trying to be pretty aggressive in a friendly way,”

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said.

City officials expected $6 million of the $24.5 million total to

appear on President Bush’s budget, with the remainder funded over the

next several years. When they saw that the project had not been

funded, city officials pinned their hopes on the appropriations

process to get the money. Kiff explained that, by targeting the

state’s two senators as well as Newport’s representative in the

House, the city has a chance at getting the money.

If both houses of Congress include the item on their respective

versions of the appropriations bill, the funding is virtually

assured, Kiff explained.

“I have every intention of securing next year’s funding for this

important dredging project,” Cox said. “This is a very austere budget

climate because of homeland security needs and our military defense.

Nonetheless, environmental initiatives of significant importance

should be protected.”

Feinstein was unavailable for comment.

Ridgeway said that dredging of the Back Bay must be done every 20

years to remove about 2-million cubic yards of accumulated silt that

threatens to destroy local wildlife habitats.

Ridgeway hesitates to entertain the idea of what would happen if

the dredging did not take place: “The Back Bay would fill in and the

habitat area in the West Coast’s largest estuary will deteriorate and

that’s just not acceptable,” Ridgeway said. “We’re talking about a

habitat for about five endangered species, so it’s critical to us.”

The city has obtained about 35% of the estimated $38 million cost

of the work, mostly through state and other grants. The U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers performs the work, and the cost is expected to be

covered on the corps’ budget.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].