Some say the world is getting smaller. That depends on your perspective; from my point of view the world is getting larger and is continuing to grow. The days are gone when public agencies, such as port authorities, could isolate themselves behind a fence line or inside an office. The transportation industry has become the transportation system, and the marine transportation system is rapidly expanding as requirements grow in a globally competitive marketplace. It has also been said that all politics are local; that may be true but they are also global. The issues we face today in the United States are the same worldwide and include maritime jobs, the health of the tourism and fishing industries, environmental quality, waterway safety, public access, and traffic congestion on highways while we push more cargo and more people through coastal and inland gateways. Although these issues have become focused on the port complex as terminal expansion and throughput pressures grow, the entire national transportation system is being affected by these rapid changes. The scope of each harbor improvement and waterway activity must be examined in the context of regional and national transportation policies and planning to secure the opportunities being offered. Last year's regional listening sessions and the subsequent national Marine Transportation System Conference began a process to address this evolving milieu. During the listening sessions, the maritime community repeatedly voiced its position that cooperation and communication, between the federal agencies working with one another as well as with local harbor interests, are key to ensuring that the concept of a marine transportation system becomes a reality. Participants emphasized recognition of multiple values and stakeholder interests. All wanted to see the environment sustained, business competitive, and waterway risks minimized. At the national conference, a new paradigm for the system was established when a multifaceted vision statement was formulated. This vision provides a clear goal for the maritime future. The statement and the conference discussions dealt with systemwide attributes that form the context for today's maritime activities: security, the environment, safety, infrastructure, and competitiveness. Integration of these varied attributes highlights our need to move beyond single-issue planning and actions into a systems approach. The U.S. Coast Guard, Maritime Administration, and other maritime stakeholders have embarked on a process to achieve that objective. To be successful in ensuring proper examination and evaluation of the maritime system so that it functions as an effective component of the global transportation system, we must address risks. We must develop attitudes, methods, and skills to recognize and to manage both the opportunities and the risks being faced. This conference was organized by the National Research Council (NRC) to assist us in that process and I offer my comments to help stir your thoughts as the work of the next 2 days begins.
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