"Working waterfronts are a crucial part of our local food infrastructure and we are in desperate need of resources to help update, innovate, and preserve fishing and seafood access to our oceans. Investing in our working waterfronts is crucial to keeping seafood local, fishing families anchored close to home, and protecting the very soul of coastal communities that fishing has been a part of for generations.” – Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.
“Lobstering is the backbone of our coastal communities, yet only about 20 miles of our roughly 5,000 mile coastline is reserved for the working waterfront. Lobstermen could not make a living from the sea if they aren’t able to get to it. The economic pressure on what little working waterfront remains continues to increase. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association commends Representative Pingree for her steadfast commitment to protecting working waterfront to ensure access for fishermen and preserving the unique character of our fishing communities.” – Patrice McCarron, Policy Director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.
“The Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act is welcomed legislation for restoring and maintaining waterfront infrastructure and ensuring ocean access for commercial businesses, recreation, tourism, and traditional uses. This bill seeks to preserve and expand waterfront access for all ocean users, as well as identify and prioritize the needs of working waterfronts in the face of threats, such as climate change, that could have lasting impacts on coastal communities, local jobs, and regional economies. The Marine Fish Conservation Network thanks Reps. Pingree and Wittman for supporting the people and communities across our nation who depend on accessible ocean resources and thriving working waterfronts.” –Robert C. Vandermark, Executive Director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network.
“New England’s coastal communities are on the frontlines of climate change. This bill is a step toward keeping Maine’s waterfront economy and culture alive. We appreciate Rep. Pingree’s leadership on this important issue.” – Sean Mahoney, Senior Counsel and Vice President, Conservation Law Foundation Maine.
"Heightened demands on working waterfronts in the last decade bring into sharp focus the need for federal legislation such as the 'Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act.' US coastal communities are grappling with a host of challenges including the loss of working waterfront space to other uses and the impacts of climate change on coastal property and natural resources. The proposed legislation includes important stepping stones to support our working waterfronts with the designation of a task force to identify and address the needs of working waterfront communities and the opportunity to develop waterfront plans making coastal communities eligible for federal funding. These are critical efforts to ensure the economic and social health of our working waterfront communities." –Kristin Uiterwyk, Chair of the National Working Waterfront Network, a nationwide network of businesses, industry associations, nonprofits, local governments and communities, state and federal agencies, universities, Sea Grant programs, and individuals dedicated to supporting, preserving, and enhancing our nation’s working waterfronts and waterways.
“The East Coast Shellfish Growers Association enthusiastically supports this bill because we can't farm shellfish if we can't find convenient locations to land our crops and affordable dock space for our work boats. As more and more marinas are being gentrified for recreational boaters, it is getting harder for working boats to compete for space and access.” – Bob Rheault, Executive Director, East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
“Working waterfronts are the economic hub of the blue economy that is critical to sustaining coastal communities and their connection to natural resources. We applaud Rep. Pingree for her reintroduction of the Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act. These efforts bring needed resources to protect these sites that are so vulnerable to conversion and climate change.” – Tom Duffus, The Conservation Fund, Vice President, Northeast Rep. and Maine State Director
"The Keep America's Waterfronts Working Act includes creative approaches to preserve the infrastructure that community-based commercial fisheries across the country depend on. The bill's sponsors are advancing intelligent investments in working waterfronts to harden up to threats like gentrification and climate change. The members of the Fishing Communities Coalition applaud and thank Rep. Pingree and Rep. Wittman for introducing this important bill."
"Commercial fishing and boat building are well known heritage industries in Maine. In recent years the Bureau of Economic Analysis data shows that recreational boating and fishing make up the largest percentage of value added to the Maine economy compared to all other outdoor recreation activities. Grant and loan programs as proposed in the Keep America's Working Waterfronts Act would help marine businesses keep up with the high costs of infrastructure improvements that are critical to the existence of our recreational boating and commercial fishing industries." – Stacey Keefer, Director for the Maine Marine Trades Association
“Our working waterfronts are critically important to Maine’s coastal communities, the state, and, in fact, the world. They generate an array of good jobs. They allow us to deliver sustainable seafood to the rest of the world, and they are inextricably linked to Maine’s economic health. Unfortunately, they are under siege from warming waters, stronger storms, and changes to our coastal communities. For all these reasons, working waterfront businesses need additional resources. Representative Pingree’s long time dedication to these vital assets fuels Maine’s ability to address the tough challenges facing coastal communities and generate important economic returns.” – Kimberly Hamilton, PhD, President, Island Institute
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