Commissioners at the Port of Vancouver in Washington state have approved a 10-year strategic plan that forecasts steady growth in revenue, cargo tonnage and jobs over the next decade.

A port statement said the plan projects a 23 per cent increase in marine cargo revenues over the next 10 years, while suggesting the potential for even stronger growth with a first look at 2006 actual revenues, which exceeded last year's budgeted projections by US$3.8 million.

Increases in both marine cargo and industrial operations will drive expected growth in ship calls and in trucks and rail cars serving port customers. Rail cars through the port are projected to increase from 43,000 to over 70,000 annually creating the need for the new rail access into the port and expansion of internal tracks currently under development, the statement added.