Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), announced grants totaling $5.3 million for seven harbor maintenance and improvement projects to promote waterborne freight and economic development, according to a news release.
Projects supported by the $5.3 million in Harbor Assistance Program (HAP) grants include:
- Perch Point LLC, Port Milwaukee — $540,000 to construct a dock wall to support the movement and delivery of shoreline protection materials along the Lake Michigan shoreline;
- Port of Green Bay — $1 million to stabilize the existing shoreline with bulkhead fill and dock wall construction on new port property located at the mouth of the Fox River;
- Hanke Terminals, La Crosse — $200,000 to repair a failing dock wall used to export ag-commodities and import miscellaneous bulk goods;
- Briess Industries Inc., Manitowoc — $1 million to dredge the bed of the Manitowoc River along frontage used by Briess to broaden maritime transportation options for agricultural commodities;
- S. Venture Inc., Green Bay — $200,000 to dredge the bed of the Fox River to allow the continued import of petroleum products to Northeast Wisconsin;
- FJ Robers, La Crosse — $1.17 million to repair and construct a new dock wall to allow the continued operation of a bulk commodity transload facility. This section of wall is dedicated to the transfer of corn and soybeans and is critical to sustaining Wisconsin as an important origin for the export market; and
- Holcim US Green Bay Terminal, Green Bay — $1.2 million to dredge the bed of the Fox River and construct a new docking facility to receive cement used in construction across the region.
Created in 1979, Wisconsin’s Harbor Assistance Program helps harbor communities maintain and improve waterborne commerce. Applications are accepted from public or private harbor facilities for projects that benefit facilities used for cargo transfer, shipbuilding, commercial fishing, vessel cruises, or ferry service. All projects must have a transportation efficiency benefit-cost ratio greater than one over a 25-year project life and be identified in a current three-year harbor development plan. Selection criteria include economic impact, urgency, and project type. Those interested in the next round of Harbor Assistance Project grants should note that the deadline for the next cycle is Aug. 1, 2023.
