"Each of these projects is essential to the preservation and enhancement of Maine's natural resources," Senators Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. "We will continue to work to secure funding for these and other conservation projects which are important to the well-being of our state."
The Senators announced funding for the following projects that benefit Maine:
• $77.828 million for Coastal Zone Management, a portion of which will help Maine coastal towns enhance maritime-related economies, protect critical resources, maintain public access, protect working waterfronts, manage growth and development, and restore coastal habitats.
• $72.175 million for the National Sea Grant Program, which provides funding to universities, including the University of Maine, for fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal development research.
• $10 million for Right Whale Protection to reduce interactions between humans and Atlantic large whales, especially the Northern Right Whale, and to help rebuild the whale population.
• $3.75 million for Cooperative Research and Management of Northeast Fisheries to support continuing efforts to rebuild the Northeast multispecies fishery.
• $3 million for New England Lobster Fishery Research for cooperative research to combat the spread of lobster shell disease in New England.
• $2.5 million to the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission for the Penobscot River Restoration Project. This conservation project is restoring Maine's Atlantic salmon and several other species of native sea-run fish in the Penobscot River. In order to improve fish passage, the project involves the purchase of three dams, the removal of two, and a by-pass of the third.
• $2 million to the Downeast Institute for an Applied Marine Research Marine Laboratory in Beals. The new center will serve as a marine field station for the University of Maine at Machias and will be the only Maine marine laboratory focused on applied shellfish research.
• $2 million for the Groundline Exchange Program to assist Maine lobstermen in the transition toward "whale safe" lobster gear. Proposed federal whale regulations could cause Maine lobstermen to incur costs associated with gear modifications. This program provides innovative solutions and defraying costs to Maine's lobster industry.
• $1.65 million for implementation of the Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation to help the State of Maine continue the recovery of wild Atlantic Salmon and meet its obligations under the Endangered Species Act.
• $1 million to the University of Maine Abrupt Climate Change Research to identify the likelihood and potential impact of sudden changes in the earth's climate.
• $2 million for the University of Maine Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS) which allows for continuous real time observations in the Gulf of Maine through the use of oceanographic buoys, land-based radar stations, and satellite information and modeling.
• $2 million for the Town of Brunswick to acquire 171 acres of waterfront property on Maquoit Bay. This land will protect critical waterfowl production sites, buffer significant commercial shellfish resources, and allow for additional public access to Maquoit Bay.
• $1 million for the Gulf of Maine Council to support specific contaminant and habitat conservation projects through competitive grants in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
• $150,000 for the Maine Department of Marine Resources Lobster Research to continue lobster resource research and monitoring work in the Gulf of Maine, including biological data in order to judge population health so that management can adjust to stock conditions.
###