NASCO Your Advocate for Trade Along the North-South Central “Corridor Zone” Tiffany Melvin Executive Director

NASCO MAP

Interstate Highways

BNSF Rail Lines

UP Rail Lines

KCS Rail Lines

Ferromex Rail Lines

What is NASCO? NASCO is a tri-national, non-profit, trade and transportation coalition working to make international and domestic trade more efficient and secure along the existing network of transportation systems (including highways, rail, air, inland ports and deep-water ports) running north-south through the central U.S., Canada and Mexico. NASCO is a non-governmental agency that is encouraging the public and private sectors to work with a common voice to address critical national and international trade, transportation, security and environmental issues. 

The NASCO Trade and Transportation Zone The NASCO transportation and trade zone encompasses Interstate Highways 35, 29 and 94, and the significant east/west connectors to those highways in the United States, Canada and Mexico.  NASCO works with all transportation and trade systems along this zone, including roads, rail, air, inland ports and deep sea ports. The Zone directly impacts the continental trade flow of North America. Membership includes public and private sector entities along the zone in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

NASCO’S SCOPE Tri-national NASCO membership truly reflects the international scope of the trade zone and the regions it impacts.  Scope: From the largest border crossing in North America (The Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Canada) and Manitoba, Canada, to the second largest border crossing of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, extending to the deep water Ports of Manzanillo, and Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico.

Who are NASCO members? Public sector: Private sector: Cities and counties/provinces along the trade zone State departments of transportation Port authorities Other government agencies Private sector: Corporations with interests in trade/transportation along the trade zone.

NASCO Executive Officers President City Councilman George Blackwood Kansas City, Missouri Regional V.P. of Canada Deputy Minister of Transportation Andrew Horosko Manitoba, Canada Regional V.P. of the US County Commissioner Jerry Garza Webb County, Texas Regional V.P. of Mexico Captain Hector Mora, Port Director Manzanillo, Mexico Secretary Senator Debbe Leftwich The State of Oklahoma Treasurer Dale Vander Schaaf, Iowa DOT The State of Iowa

NASCO SuperCorridor Caucus Caucus Co-Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson - TX Caucus Co-Chair Sam Graves - MO Pete Sessions - TX Kenny Marchant- TX Henry Bonilla - TX Henry Cuellar - TX Tom Latham -IA Kay Granger - TX Emanuel Cleaver - MO Michael Burgess - TX Dennis Moore - KS

What Does NASCO Do? NASCO encourages best practices and cooperation to boost economic activity and support needed infrastructure improvements, technological innovations and environmental initiatives within the trade zone through: Strategic planning Coordination Advocacy Education NASCO’s goals include the development of safe and secure tracking processes, data aggregation and logistics systems to enhance Homeland Security while also facilitating tri-national trade.

NASCO Programs NAFTRACS: NASCO is developing a technology pilot project designed to enhance security and efficiency of transportation, trade processing and logistics systems. NAIPN: Developing an active inland port network along our corridor to specifically alleviate congestion at maritime ports and our nation’s borders. Educational Consortium: Bringing together institutions that play a vital role in transportation and providing critical studies and solutions to the ever changing needs and requirements the NASCO Zone continues to face. Partnership with the EPA: (Blue Skyways Collaborative) Principal goal is to improve air quality and reduce air pollution emissions through new technology, market forces, promotion of the use of alternative fuels, and economic incentives.

NAFTRACS Reduced Congestion and Security (NAFTRACS) North American Facilitation of Transportation, Trade, Reduced Congestion and Security (NAFTRACS) Three-phase pilot project designed to focus on business processes and information as freight is transported from sellers to buyers. Creates a partnership between businesses and local, state/ provincial, and federal governments, while fostering cooperation among the same entities. The pilot project will use actual freight shipments moving through the NASCO trade zone and will engage voluntary industry participants who will allow actual freight shipments to be tracked and monitored for location and condition of freight. Various federal and state DOT participants will have access to the necessary resulting information.

North American Inland Port Network NAIPN North American Inland Port Network A sub-committee of NASCO, the NAIPN has been tasked with developing an active inland port network along our trade zone to specifically alleviate congestion at maritime ports and our nation’s borders.  The NAIPN envisions an integrated, efficient and secure network of inland ports specializing in the transportation of containerized cargo in North America. The main guiding principal of the NAIPN is to develop logistics systems that enhance global security, but at the same time do not impede the cost-effective and efficient flow of goods.   A comprehensive NAIPN Web site has been developed (under the NASCO site) to raise the awareness of individual inland ports along the zone and bring attention to NAIPN.

Blue Skyways Collaborative

Join us for the 2nd Annual IPANA Conference! October 11-12, 2006 The Menger Hotel San Antonio, Texas Learn the latest on intermodal trends, cargo security, new logistics corridors, port technology and the rail industry For more information visit www.freetradealliance.org/IPANA

SAVE THE DATE NASCO Conference 2007 Mark your calendars NOW! May 30 - June 1, 2007 NASCO Conference 2007 Worthington Renaissance Hotel Fort Worth, Texas

NASCO Contact Information Tiffany Melvin Executive Director NASCO 901 Main Street Suite 4400 Dallas, TX 75202 214-744-1042 Tiffany@nascocorridor.com www.nascocorridor.com Monterrey, Mexico Office Ing. J. Francisco Martinez Escamilla Rafael J. Verger 1899-3 Col.Obispado Monterrey, N.L. Mexico 64060 Tel 52 (81) 8114-7110 52 (81) 8114-7120 Francisco.martinez@alinea.com.mx

“Transportation is key to the productivity, and therefore the success, of virtually every business in America. Congestion and delay not only waste our time as individuals, they also burden our businesses and our entire economy with inefficiency and higher costs.” Former Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta