{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-pingree-wittman-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-protect-working", "Reps. Pingree, Wittman introduce bipartisan legislation to protect working waterfronts", "2016-05-17", "2016", "2016-05", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Representatives Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Rob Wittman (VA-01) are introducing bipartisan legislation today to protect the kind of waterfront access and infrastructure that many businesses\u2014and thousands of jobs\u2014depend on in Maine, Virginia, and in communities all over the country.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\u201cThe importance of Maine\u2019s coastline to our state\u2019s economy can\u2019t be understated. \u00a0It\u2019s not only the reason millions of people visit our state every year, but many industries\u2014like fishing, boat yards, and aquaculture\u2014simply can\u2019t operate without it,\u201d said Pingree. \u00a0\u201cDevelopment pressures mean that we\u2019ve lost an enormous amount of working waterfront in recent decades. To ensure the future of these critical industries, Maine and other coastal states need tools to protect waterfront access and infrastructure. \u00a0And that\u2019s what our bill aims to do.\u201d  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\"Deteriorating waterfronts don\u2019t just hurt our economy, they hurt our communities,\" said Wittman. \u00a0\"These waterfronts support businesses, provide access to water, vitalize the economy, and improve quality of life for folks all over the country. Unfortunately, pressure from population growth and development threaten to destroy Virginia\u2019s many water-dependent industries and displace families that have deep cultural ties to the area. This legislation will protect communities along our coasts by supporting maritime industry, protecting vital jobs, and preserving our natural resources.\"  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tPingree and Wittman's bill, the Keep America\u2019s Waterfronts Working Act, would establish a Working Waterfront Grant Program that would provide matching, competitive grants to coastal states. \u00a0The grants would go toward preserving and expanding access to coastal waters for commercial fishing, recreational guiding, aquaculture, boat building, and other water-dependent businesses.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tThe bill would also create a Working Waterfront Task Force at the Department of the Interior. \u00a0The task force would identify and prioritize critical working waterfront needs with respect to their cultural and economic importance, climate change and other environmental threats, and market conditions for water-dependent businesses. \u00a0It would also identify working waterfronts within communities.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\u201cStrong working waterfronts are critical to the future of Maine's fishing communities and marine economy. Maine has less than 20 miles of working waterfront along our 3,500-mile coastline,\u201d said Nick Battista, Marine Programs Director at the Island Institute. \u201cIn Maine, we have worked hard to ensure people can continue to make a living off of the water but we cannot do it alone. It\u2019s essential that our federal agencies better incorporate the needs of our nation\u2019s working waterfronts into their decision-making processes.\u201d  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tAccording to the National Working Waterfront Network, working waterfronts support over 3.4 percent of the country\u2019s total GDP, but there is no federal agency or program designed to help businesses, communities, and states protect these places.\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\u201cOnce a working waterfront gets converted to another use, it\u2019s very difficult to get it back. That means our coastlines can sustain fewer jobs both directly and indirectly,\u201d Pingree said. \u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t think the loss of our working waterfronts has been a high enough federal priority. \u00a0The government needs a more coordinated response and to support states that want to protect the working waterfronts they still have and expand where possible.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-pingree-wittman-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-protect-working"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8198629841208458, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}