Since Nine- Eleven, the US Coast Guard has taken on several new responsibilities in the area of Marine Security.

Those responsibilities come with a need for money, personnel and equipment.

Julie Pearce reports the Northland is hoping to see some of that booty here.

Commandant Thad Allen, "The resources are inadequate to carry out the mission, that's the reason I'm requesting them in the budget."

The mission involves Marine Safety Inspection, which carries a price tag of nine- point- three billion dollars.

Commandant Allen, the highest ranking member of the Coast Guard, was in Duluth this afternoon to evaluate the challenges and priorities for this area, "Since 911, the Coast Guard has a lot of responsibilities regarding marine security; we want to make sure we're attending our marine safety responsibilities as well."

Here in the Twin Ports, the largest inland port in the world, the primary function is maritime commerce and shipping, "Making sure that the types of regulatory responsibilities that we have whether it's inspecting ships or issuing merchant mariner documentation, whether or not those duties are carried out."

To support those safety responsibilities the Coast Guard would need nearly 300 new maritime positions...but that's just the beginning, "I consider this more of a down payment, this is a multi-year plan. It's impossible to grow as much as you'd like to in one year because you have to bring people in to train them."

They're also poised to acquire new aircraft, ice-breaking vessels, patrol, and response boats, "What I really need to is put the modern assets in the hands of the people and let them do their job. We've got great people in the Coast Guard and we need to give them equipment to match."

Duluth Coast Guard officials are hoping to bring some of the bacon home.

Adm. John Crowley, commander of the Ninth District knows that his unit needs part of the 200 and some people that have been obtained for the year, "and we will give him all the information that he needs to make the right apportionment of those assets."

The Coast Guard anticipated expenditure is the second largest slice of the Department of Homeland Security's proposed budget.

That reflects a 7- point- six percent increase from 2008.