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“GRANTING CONSENT OF CONGRESS TO POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AIRPORT AUTHORITY COMPACT ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2084 on Oct. 11, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
GRANTING CONSENT OF CONGRESS TO POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AIRPORT AUTHORITY
COMPACT ACT
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speech of
HON. ROSCOE G. BARTLETT
of maryland
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 8, 1998
Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, S. J. Res. 51 would provide Congress' consent to a compact between the States of West Virginia and Maryland establishing the Potomac Highlands Airport Authority. This legislation has been passed by the Senate and has the support of the Senators from both States and the Members of Congress from the districts concerned.
This bill is of great importance to my constituents as well as to me personally. As you may know, in 1944 the city of Cumberland, located in Allegany County, Maryland, purchased land 3 miles south of the city in Wiley Ford, West Virginia for the construction of an airport. In 1976 the States of Maryland and West Virginia entered into a compact establishing the Potomac Highlands Airport Authority.
The need for the compact stems from the unusual nature of the airport. It is located in one State, but owned by a municipality in another. Accordingly there has been a certain degree of uncertainty about the ability of the airport authority to guarantee to pay for loans they may receive. This was discovered as the Authority was in the process of undertaking a 20-year $10 million expansion program and had applied for a loan from the Department of Agriculture. In its denial of the loan, the Department replied that it could not provide the loan unless Congress were to provide its consent to the bi-state compact between West Virginia and Maryland.
The loan from the USDA represented an important part of this expansion program. While congressional approval of the compact will obviously facilitate the improvement of the airport specifically, it will also have a positive impact on the economic development of region as a whole.
As you may know, the Greater Cumberland Regional Airport, is located in rural Appalachia. According to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Allegany County, Maryland has an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent, almost 90 percent higher than the national average. This number does not even consider the great number of people who have become so discouraged that they have stopped seeking employment. The simple reason for this high unemployment rate is that the area has suffered from the closing of a number of employers and has been unable to attract employers sufficient to replace the lost jobs.
The critical task in the coming years will be for local and State leaders to attract new employers to the area. In working with businesses that are considering moving to area, one of the critical deciding factors for their relocation is access to first rate infrastructure. Businesses considering moving to the region will need to know commercial aviation users. The Potomac Highland Airport Authority has a 20-year plan that will allow it to expand to accommodate the increased utilization of the facility. The House's approval of this bill is an important step in providing the Potomac Highlands Airport Authority with the tools necessary to be an active participant in the region's expansion.
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