VANCOUVER: The Fraser River and Vancouver Port Authorities have approved the allocation of $236,000 in joint funding in 2007 for the Fraser River Debris Trap. The port authorities have also recommended the development of a multi-year, shared-funding agreement for the debris trap, calling upon the federal and provincial governments, the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Fraser Valley Regional District, to work together on this important initiative.

"Funding of the Fraser River Debris Trap is just one example of the benefits of the proposed amalgamation of the three lower mainland ports," said Captain Allen Domaas, President and CEO of the Fraser River Port Authority. "Funding at this level would not be possible if the Fraser River Port Authority had to go it alone."

The Fraser River Debris Trap Operating Committee (FRDTOC) has set a 2007/08 annual budget of $750,000, which includes operating costs of $628,000 and a contribution to a reserve fund as an operational and maintenance contingency.

"We hope it will be the first of many such initiatives aimed at providing benefit to both the gateway and the surrounding communities, not just on the Fraser River, but also in Burrard Inlet," said Captain Gordon Houston, President and CEO of the Vancouver Port Authority.

The Fraser River debris trap captures enough natural woody debris such as trunks, rootballs and branches to fill 10 football stadiums to a depth of three metres debris that would otherwise travel downriver during the spring high water period.

According to an independent study commissioned by the FRDTOC, the trap pays for itself a minimum of 12 times over by reducing damage and cleanup costs caused by debris. The trap is a waterborne debris capture facility near Hope. It helps keep the lower stretches of the Fraser River and southern waters of the Strait of Georgia clear for navigation, enhances public safety and each year helps avoid at least $8 million in costs of clean-up and repairing damage to vessels and foreshore infrastructure.

The North Fraser Port Authority has operated its own debris recovery site on the north arm of the Fraser River since 1968 and has committed to its continued operation though 2007.

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About the Fraser River Port Authority:
Fraser River Port is Canadas largest fresh water port and Canadas largest automobile port, encompassing 270 kilometres of shoreline along the Fraser River from Langley to the Strait of Georgia. The Port generates 16,100 direct local jobs and contributes $1.3 billion to Canadas Gross Domestic Product.


About the North Fraser Port Authority:
Port North Fraser is Canadas largest shallow draft port and handles on average 17 million tonnes of cargo annually. The Port continues to contribute over $1 billion each year in Gross Domestic Product and provide employment for approximately 8,000 persons.


About the Vancouver Port Authority:
The Port of Vancouver, Canada's flagship port, trades more than $43 billion in goods with more than 100 trading economies annually. Port activities generate 69,200 jobs with $4 billion in Gross Domestic Product and $8.9 billion in economic output.


For more information, please contact:

Mark Erdman,
Manager, Communications
Fraser River Port Authority
(604) 523-4812 (office)
(604) 524-1127 (fax)
(604) 839-0439 (cellular)
marke@frpa.com

Allan Baydala,
President & CEO
North Fraser Port Authority
(604) 273-1866 (office)
(604) 273-3772 (fax)
(604) 328-0874 (cellular)
abaydala@nfpa.ca


Anne McMullin,
Director, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Vancouver Port Authority
(604) 665-9069 (office)
(604) 665-9073 (fax)
(778) 231-6978 (cellular)
anne.mcmullin@portvancouver.com


For more information:
For more information on any of these stories, call 1-888 PORTVAN.
Or, send an email to:
public_affairs@portvancouver.com