Northern Grain Belt Ports Initiative Established
A group of US regional partners have come together to form the Northern Grain Belt Ports Initiative.
The Initiative, several years in the making, is an offshoot of the regional Corn Belt Ports Initiative, which works primarily with rural, regional inland ports to promote competitiveness, sustainability, resiliency, and integrity of inland regional port systems.
The group consists of the Joint Board of Harbor Commissioners (Port of La Crosse), the City of Prairie du Chien, the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC), the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce.
Among the Initiatives goals are reducing transportation costs and risks associated with river transportation; establishing a basis for leveraging regional, state, federal, and industry resources to sustainably develop port infrastructure; better connecting agricultural providers to the river; and uniting the various public and private stakeholders along Wisconsin’s “West Coast” to establish regional and national leadership.
The Initiative will be housed in the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, and will be comprised of the initial partners, plus other regional stakeholders.
According to La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce CEO, Sam Scinta, the decision to move ahead with the Initiative was important, both for the present and future of the region: “The Mississippi is one of our region’s greatest strategic assets, a river known around the world for its power, transport infrastructure, and beauty. Our port infrastructure needs modernization to stay competitive and resilient in the face of changing water levels and business needs, including agriculture.”
Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce CEO, Robert Moses, notes: “The Northern Grain Belt Ports are a valuable asset to Southwestern Wisconsin, strengthening our role as a transportation and logistics hub along the Mississippi River. This partnership supports local businesses, agriculture, and economic growth by improving access to national and global markets.”
Ken Harwood, MRRPC Transportation Planner, said working with the actual shippers and contractors on the river to identify key issues and opportunities is a potential benefit to regional ports.
Bob Gollnik, Executive Director, La Crosse Area Planning Committee, stated his pride in seeing stakeholders working together to advance a stronger, more resilient transportation corridor.
Chris Smith, Director of Operations for the Corn Belt Ports, put the initiative into a larger context: “The Wisconsin Northern Grain Belt Ports are a critical link in America’s agricultural and global supply chains. Food security and farm security are national security priorities. By uniting Wisconsin’s West Coast under a shared regional identity, we amplify our aligned priorities, strengthen the competitiveness of our farmers, expand market access, and provide a unified voice to secure the investment needed to keep America’s agricultural exports moving reliably and efficiently.”
Scinta concludes, “By creating this Initiative today, we are starting a process that will play out over, and benefit, generations to come, and is a marker of our stewardship for this significant infrastructure and natural resource.”
