Protecting Working Waterfronts

Ocean acidification makes it more difficult for mussels, oysters, and clams, above, to full form their shells. Read more »

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and U.S. Representatives Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree today announced they have introduced companion legislation in both the Senate and the House that would help address the concerns of communities near Acadia National Park (ANP) about boundary issues and the use of intertidal zones by harvesters of clams and worms. The bill reflects… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today that Buxton-based VitaminSea would receive a $600,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) USDA grant to further develop SeaKelp+, a kelp-based additive for bread.  “Some of the most exciting things about Maine aquaculture right now are consumers’ growing awareness of seaweed’s nutritional benefits and the… Read more »

Rockland, Maine—Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced today that the City of Rockland would receive an $830,000 federal grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), enough funding to move forward with plans to repair and update its aging Fish Pier. “The Rockland Fish Pier is a critical piece of working waterfront infrastructure that’s in great need… Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) spoke on the House floor today in opposition to a partisan reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which sets national commercial fisheries management policy. The bill, which passed out of Committee on a party-line vote, would create exploitable loopholes in catch limits, weaken regional oversight, and undermine the responsible management of… Read more »

In light of the negative repercussions that Maine’s lobster industry and other businesses are facing from the Trump Administration’s latest trade actions, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) sent a letter today to U.S. Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney urging the Administration to pursue a more coherent trade strategy to save the state’s economy from further… Read more »

During Appropriations Committee markup of the FY 2019 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) offered and spoke on an amendment to prohibit funds from being used to implement the Trump Administration’s proposal to open up vast new areas of the East and West coasts to offshore oil and gas drilling leases. The… Read more »

“I’m very pleased that Casco Bay Lines will receive this vital funding to help keep its fleet running smoothly,” said Pingree. “These ferries not only give thousands of tourists a taste of what Maine islands have to offer, but are key to the sustainability of year-round island communities. I am a proud advocate for the Passenger Ferry Program in Congress both for its value to our economy and way of life.” Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) announced that The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a nonprofit corporation established by the 2014 Farm Bill, has awarded Hugh Cowperthwaite of Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) a $300,000 matching research grant. CEI has received the funding in order to investigate the economic viability of a Japanese scallop production… Read more »

On the floor of the House of Representatives today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) went on the offensive against the Trump Administration’s plan to open most of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to oil and gas drilling, arguing that Maine has everything to lose and nothing to gain from the proposal.   Two weeks ago, the Trump Administration introduced a plan to undo… Read more »