Andres speaks at Regional Leaders Breakfast

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Regional

leaders came together

for their bi-annual breakfast

Friday morning at Christ Our

Savior Lutheran High School

in Evansville.

George Andres, General

Manager of the Kaskaskia

Regional Port District. Andres

spoke on the Lower

Kaskaskia Stakeholders, Inc.

He stated how they represent

the various interests on the

lower Kaskaskia River for

the common good of the

river and it's users.

"The overall goal is to

have a substantial river and

to continue prosperity for future

users," stated Andres.

He went on note the Annual

Launch Trip will be held

in September.

"It is good networking for

those that attend, "statedAndres.

Special projects that Andres

spoke on were the floating

party, tie-back for steam

bank stabilization, 911 mapping

of the river, river cleanup,

Eagle Trek (1st part of

February) and the point improvements

(completion

should be the middle of Fall)

Andres talked about the

examples of what has been

done: The Kaskaskia Regional

Port (KRPD), Issues

and opportunities report

(CREP) Conservation Reserve

Enhancement Program

and theWater Resources Development

Act Comprehensive

Plan (WRDA).

He added that the Kellogg

Dock will handle up to 8 million

tons of coal annually, the

Prairie State Limestone will

handle a million tons of limestone,

Gateway FS in Evansville

will be able to expand

their dock sometime this

year, dredging will occur this

year through with 18 million

dollars in stimulus funds.

In closing, Andres

thanked Congressman Jerry

Costello for his support of

the Kaskaskia Rive