The Northumberland County Economic Development Commission on Nov. 18 voted to provide a brief statement of support for grant applications to dredge the Little Wicomico River entrance at Smith Point and repair nearby jetties.

An unnamed representative of the Dredge Little Wicomico initiative told the commission the federally authorized navigation channel — originally 8 feet deep and 150 feet wide when built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — has become severely shoaled, with most of the entrance reduced to a shifting channel under about 3 feet. "Without access, customers decline, and that reduces business revenue and jobs," the representative said, describing ripple effects that include lost demand for cold storage, trucking, fuel, bait and short-term lodging.

The presentation cited a recent Board of Supervisors resolution of support and more than 1,100 petition signatures; speakers emphasized that funding is the limiting factor and that successful state and federal applications require coordinated local backing and a clear economic impact statement.

Public commenters reinforced the economic and safety concerns. Lydia Haney, who identified herself as a custom homebuilder, said shoaling already affects resale and new-construction markets and urged action to protect both safety and development prospects. George Benjamin, a Little Wicomico property owner, asked who is leading the overall effort and urged clearer coordination among the Northern Neck Planning District Commission (NNPDC), county staff and state delegates.

Commission members and attendees discussed the funding path and organizational roles. Staff and other speakers clarified that NNPDC is acting as the grant sponsor and is leading the Joint Permit Application and initial engineering, while county officials and citizens can provide supporting letters and legislative outreach. The representative said the Army Corps’ shift away from routine maintenance of shallow-draft waterways in 2010 has left states and local planning districts to secure funds for these projects.

During the meeting Chair (Speaker 1) moved that the Economic Development Commission "provide [a] statement of support for the project to accompany any grant application." The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The chair said she would work with Maurice (Speaker 2) to draft the statement and with other stakeholders to assemble data to support grant submissions.

Members agreed to try to schedule a meeting with NNPDC staff (including Jerry Davis, the identified NNPDC contact) and other partners so citizens and county staff can align on next steps and share the same information. The commission also discussed drafting a letter the commission could reuse for multiple grant applications.

Next steps documented at the meeting: EDC members will draft a short support statement for grant packages, attempt to schedule a coordination meeting with NNPDC and legislative offices, and provide supporting economic data for applications. No specific grant award or funding commitment was made at the meeting.