Protecting Working Waterfronts

It's hard to imagine a place like Maine without its working waterfronts. They're not only an iconic part of our state's history and landscape, but an irreplaceable resource for 30,000 thousand Mainers who make their living from marine-related industries.

But as valuable as they are to our communities, they make up only 20 miles of our 5,000-mile coastline. That makes them extremely vulnerable, since a development here or a few condos there can swallow a large percentage of what working land remains.  Other emerging threats include climate change and ocean acidification.

We need tools to protect these valuable spots and ensure that Mainers can continue to make their living from the sea.

Congressman Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and I reintroduced the bipartisan Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act, legislation to preserve America’s working waterfronts by creating a grant program and preservation loan fund to provide funding options for waterfront preservation and improvement projects. The bill would also establish a Working Waterfronts Task Force at the Department of Commerce. These resources would support coastal communities grappling with the climate crisis and preserve the character of coastal communities by protecting jobs, commercial activities, and public access to America’s coast. 

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