CORPS OF ENGINEERS CHIEF STEPS DOWN, MORE FUNDING REQUESTED

CORPS OF ENGINEERS CHIEF STEPS DOWN, MORE FUNDING REQUESTED    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chief Michael Parker resigned Wednesday after heated public exchanges with the White House’s Office of Management and Budget over the shrinking budget of his agency.
   Parker, who served his post for five months, had requested $2 billion in additional funds for Corps of Engineers’ fiscal 2003 budget, but ended up with a proposed $4.29 billion. After an adjustment of $115 million to cover federal retiree costs, the total budget would be about $4.175 billion, 10 percent below the enacted level last year. The agency is responsible civil projects, such as dredging the nation’s ports and waterways for shipping.
   Many in the shipping and port industry agree with Parker’s call for more funds.
   Erik Stromberg, executive director of the North Carolina State Ports
Authority on behalf of the American Association of Port Authorities, told members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment on Thursday that the ports are concerned that the Administration’s proposed fiscal 2003 budget is not enough to keep navigation projects on schedule. This could cause a large backlog in maintenance of the Corps’ existing navigation projects, he said.