WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today Congressman David Wu issued a letter to Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, undersecretary of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), highlighting the benefits of locating NOAA’s Pacific fleet in Astoria, Oregon.  NOAA is currently considering multiple ports for its new fleet location, including two in Astoria.

“Astoria provides NOAA with a welcoming community, convenient access to sea, and proximity to many esteemed institutions conducting marine research,” said Wu.  “I urge NOAA to consider these attributes as it makes a decision about the future location of its Pacific fleet.”   

Text of the letter follows:

April 22, 2008

Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher
Undersecretary
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
1401 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC  20230
                                                
Dear Undersecretary Lautenbacher:

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is currently considering new ports for its Pacific fleet. As NOAA weighs the merits of each port, I want to highlight the benefits of locating the fleet in Astoria, Oregon. I believe NOAA and its operations would benefit from an Astoria location, and I hope NOAA seriously considers placing its Pacific fleet in Astoria.

At the mouth of the Columbia River, Astoria would require considerably less travel time to sea than other ports under consideration. Astoria is also accessible to a number of Oregon institutions of higher education that conduct marine research, including Oregon State University, Clatsop Community College, the Marine Educational and Research Technical Station, the Oregon Graduate Institute, and Portland State University.  This research presents great potential for collaboration between the institutions and NOAA, and is likely to yield reciprocal benefits.

The Astoria area would welcome NOAA as a member of its community. Unanimous resolutions of support for the NOAA fleet have recently been passed by the cities of Astoria, Warrenton, Gearhart, Seaside, and Cannon Beach, as well as the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, the Clatsop Community College Board of Directors, and the Port of Astoria. Astoria has served as a welcoming home for the U.S. Coast Guard, both surface and aviation, for several decades. NOAA can expect the same warm welcome and community support.

As NOAA develops plans to relocate its Pacific fleet, the positive benefits of placing the fleet in Astoria, Oregon—for both NOAA and the community—cannot be ignored.

With warm regards,

David Wu
Member of Congress

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