Emergency Assistance Comes Through for Cornucopia Harbor
BELL - State Senator Bob Jauch (D. Poplar) and State Representative Janet Bewley (D. Ashland) applauded an announcement that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has approved $50,000 in emergency harbor assistance funds to help pay for dredging of Cornucopia Harbor.
This funding is in addition to $50,000 approved by DOT for harbor dredging on June 22nd.
The two lawmakers had been working with local officials since the Memorial Day storm that deposited a significant amount of silt in the harbor and left the channel dangerously shallow.
They encouraged the additional funding following a Corps of Engineers review that concluded more dredging would be necessary to keep the harbor and channel open.
"We are extremely pleased with the cooperation from Transportation Secretary Gottlieb and his staff who have closely worked with local officials to provide the critical funding and reduce the financial burden to local taxpayers," said Jauch. "There is absolutely no way that the Town of Bell could absorb the costs of dredging this harbor and cleaning up after the recent storms without state assistance."
"Not only is the harbor essential to the local economy, it's also critical as a harbor of refuge during severe weather" said Bewley. "Without these additional funds, it's likely the channel would be too shallow to serve the needs of the boats and fisherman who count on the harbor every day."
The Northern Lawmakers vowed to continue working closely with local and state officials to help communities in Northern Wisconsin get the help they need to recover from the recent storms.
Recent estimates indicate that the Ashland and Bayfield Counties suffered over $1.2 million in damage from the rain storms that have ripped through the area in the last month.
