[Vision2020] Why the Port Wants Megaloads

[Ron Force]

 December 08, 2010
Todd Maddock: Shipments means jobs, economic activity for Idaho, port
READER'S VIEW: U.S. 12 megaloads
BY TODD MADDOCK - Idaho Statesman

There has been a good deal of discussion recently about the transportation of 
major industrial equipment in north-central Idaho. The permitting issues 
surrounding the proposed shipments will be sorted out, we hope, very soon, but 
the larger discussion of industrial shipments, and the economic benefits 
associated with those deliveries, could be assisted with some additional 
perspective.

The Port of Lewiston is the farthest inland port on the West Coast of the United 
States. For 35 years the port has been a vital transportation gateway creating 
jobs and economic activity for all of Idaho and indeed the entire region.

Internationally, river transportation makes the Port of Lewiston a competitive 
gateway for products exported to the Pacific Rim and imported products and 
materials that need to reach destinations far inland in the Northwest. 
Slack-water navigation has made the region’s agricultural products competitive 
in world markets.

Currently, 85 percent of soft white wheat, peas and lentils grown in the region 
are exported and pass through the port’s facilities. In addition, paperboard 
stock has been an export product that historically uses barge transportation.

There is no doubt that the vision and commitment of the community and its 
leaders in the 1950s, to establish the Port of Lewiston, has resulted in 
significant economic dividends for the Lewis-Clark Valley, for Idaho and the 
entire region.

So why are the materials — admittedly very large cargo that requires 
sophisticated handling and detailed transportation and safety plans — so 
important to the Port of Lewiston and to Idaho? The short answer is simple: jobs 
and economic growth.

It is important to understand the role the port plays in supporting jobs, new 
construction and providing a reliable supply of a variety of products. In many 
ways, the Port of Lewiston is a vital link in this chain of commerce and 
industry.

If companies encounter huge delays or unacceptable costs, they will draw the 
obvious conclusion that we aren’t able in Idaho to support the regional economy 
with common-sense approaches to transportation that ensure safe, reliable, 
environmentally responsible commerce.

In business, activity fosters activity, and in the future, companies who utilize 
this transportation route will recognize the benefit and value that has been 
created in Idaho to accommodate their transportation needs. While we are aware 
the Port of Lewiston is open for business, the rest of the country — and to some 
extent the world — is receiving a different and ultimately more harmful message.

Perhaps some folks want to send that message, but at the Port of Lewiston we 
certainly don’t and we don’t believe the vast majority of Idahoans do either.

So this is an important issue now and for the future. How it is handled could 
affect many other vital Idaho and regional industries.

We think commerce can and should utilize Idaho’s port, and that it can be done 
wisely, carefully and safely. There is no doubt Idaho and the regional economy 
can benefit from the jobs, the wages, the taxes and the economic vitality that 
comes with such commerce.

It is time to get on with letting Idaho’s port continue to fuel the Idaho and 
regional economy.

Todd Maddock is the Port of Lewiston Commission president.


      
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