Bipartisan bill would bolster Maine's coastal communities
Courtesy / Office of U.S. Sen. Angus King
U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, right, is shown here with a member of the South Bristol Fisherman's Co-op.
A bipartisan bill co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, aims to bolster coastal communities in Maine with tax credits for marine energy projects, financial support for fisheries and other measures.
The Working Waterfronts Act includes more than a dozen provisions to support efforts to mitigate the effect of climate change and strengthen federal conservation research projects.
Included in the proposed legislation is King’s Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act, designed to allow businesses that provide assistance to fishing operations — such as gear manufacturers or cold storage facilities — to access loans from the Farm Credit System. Such loans are already available to service providers to farmers, ranchers and loggers.
“Maine’s coastal communities are changing," King said. "From a warming climate to an evolving economy, the Gulf of Maine faces both historic opportunities and challenges that will define our state’s success for generations."
The bill "would provide Maine’s working waterfronts up and down the coast with the necessary financial, energy and infrastructure resources to adapt to the rapidly shifting dynamics of natural disasters affecting economic and tourism operations," he noted. "It would also help support the necessary workforce to sustain our coastal businesses.”
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, also supports the bill.
“The men and women who make their living in Maine’s blue economy face growing challenges, including rising costs, workforce shortages and changing ocean conditions," Collins said. "This bipartisan legislation would help address these issues by improving shoreside infrastructure, supporting the next generation of maritime workers, and investing in ocean ecosystem maintenance to ensure that Maine’s coastal communities remain strong for years to come.”
Provisions in the bill include financial support for cold storage and other infrastructure and a grant program to support organizations that recruit, educate and train the maritime workforce.
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