minimize impacts to traffic and commercial port operations. Conclusion Certainly, the Port of Baltimore is not unique in the diver- sity of the challenges it faces. Modernizing infrastructure, port expansion, larger ships, and increasing congestion on our waterways; all port com- plexes face new challenges and evolving risks that will con- tinue to require exceptional coordination among MTS stakeholders. In 1999, the U.S. Depart- ment of Transportation’s (DOT) report to Congress on the MTS envisioned a desired end state in 2020. Improved coordination among stakeholders was cited as a key element in achieving Containers are lightered off the grounded Ever Forward. Coast Guard photo the current head of the Prevention Department at Sector Maryland- National Capital Region, CDR Smoak is responsible for all marine safety missions across the navigable waters of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Endnotes: 1. U.S. Coast Guard Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular No. 01-00, “Guidance for the Establishment and Development of Harbor Safety Committees Under the Marine Transportation System (MTS) Initiative, 25 April 2000 2. Maryland State Archives. “Maryland at a Glance, Waterways; Port of Baltimore,” https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/ port.html, 05 May 2022 3. United States House of Representatives. “BENTLEY, Helen Delich,” https:// history.house.gov/People/Detail/9284, 11 August 2022 4. Dresser, Michael (August 6, 2016). “Helen Delich Bentley, congresswoman who was a staunch advocate of the port of Baltimore, dies”. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 6, 2016 5. Maryland Governor Office. “FACT SHEET: Port of Baltimore Is Booming, Leading Response to Supply Chain Crisis.” https://governor.maryland. gov/2021/11/10/fact-sheet-port-of-baltimore-is-booming-leading-response- to-supply-chain-crisis/ 6. Maryland Governor Office. “FACT SHEET: Port of Baltimore Is Booming, Leading Response to Supply Chain Crisis.” https://governor.maryland. gov/2021/11/10/fact-sheet-port-of-baltimore-is-booming-leading-response- to-supply-chain-crisis/ 7. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Public Notice 19-27. BGE Key Crossing Reliability Initiative / 230 kV Overhead Transmission Line. 28 May 2019. 8. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Docket Number USCG-2021-0327. Safety Zone; Patapsco River, Baltimore, MD. 86 FR 31999. 16 June 2021 9. Temporary Final Rule. Docket Number USCG-2021-0870. Safety Zone; Patapsco River, Baltimore, MD. 86 FR 67651. 29 November 2021 10. Maryland Port Administration Press Release. “Port of Baltimore Welcomes Four Additional Gigantic Cranes to Service Container Ships,” 09 Sep 2021, https://mpa.maryland.gov/Press%20Releases/090921.pdf 11. “Long Salvage Operation Expected for Grounded Boxship Ever Forward,” The Maritime Executive. 16 March 2022. https://maritime-executive.com/arti- cle/long-salvage-operation-expected-for-grounded-boxship-ever-forward 12. U.S. Department of Transportation, “An Assessment of the U.S. Marine Transportation System: A Report to Congress,” September 1999 13. U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System, “An Assessment of the U.S. Marine Transportation System: Report to Congress,” 28 March 2022 this vision.12 This report is a key reference in the Coast Guard’s NVIC 01-00, which provided guidance to HSCs for addressing MTS issues at a local level. It provided a great playbook for port partners within HSCs to imple- ment those recommendations from the 1999 DOT report to optimize the MTS. In March 2022, the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System, provided an updated report to Congress that reassessed the MTS. 13 This report dis- cusses emerging trends and concerns within the MTS, to include offshore wind energy development, growing ship sizes, and cybersecurity. With NVIC 01-00 being predicated on the 1999 report, it would be quite timely to gather best practices across all HSCs in order to update existing guidance. The findings of this updated report could be implemented to help guide MTS stakeholders in addressing these complex challenges across our nation’s MTS. Let us envision the desired state of the MTS in 2040, today. About the authors: LCDR Samuel Danus has served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 15 years. As the Waterways Management Division chief at Sector Maryland- National Capital Region, he is responsible for overseeing aids to naviga- tion and marine event permitting mission areas, while also preventing waterway impacts. In addition, he oversees the inspection of U.S. Coast Guard regulated waterfront facilities and containers. CDR Baxter Smoak has served for 18 years with assignments on the east, west and Gulf coasts, as well as the Great Lakes. He is a seasoned marine safety professional with afloat and ashore experience, as well as a robust background and qualifications in vessel and facility inspections, waterways management, marine investigations, and enforcement. As 78 Proceedings Summer 2023