{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/collins-reed-introduce-bill-to-protect-working-waterfronts", "Collins, Reed Introduce Bill to Protect Working Waterfronts", "2023-11-13", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "House", "GA", "Mike Collins", "C001129", "www.collins.senate.gov", "collins", "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced the Working Waterfront Preservation Act. This bipartisan bill would help preserve access for our nation\u2019s fishermen and maritime workers to the waterfronts in coastal communities, supporting the commercial fishing, aquaculture, boatbuilding, and for-hire recreational fishing industries that are so vital to the culture, heritage, and economies of seaside towns and cities.\n\n\u201cThe hard working men and women that make up Maine\u2019s maritime industries continue to lose access to the waterfronts that sustain them. Recent demand for coastal property has only intensified the problem both in Maine and across the nation,\u201d said Senator Collins. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation would create a grant program to provide funding for municipal and state governments, nonprofit organizations, and participants in maritime industries to preserve and improve working waterfront property in our coastal states.\u201d\n\n\u201cWorking waterfronts provide critical access to the water and are valuable resources that are absolutely critical to our economic future. Today, our working waterfronts face a growing number of competing pressures, from rising sea levels to surging real estate prices and economic development challenges. This new federal grant program would provide a lifeline to coastal communities to preserve, protect, and enhance working waterfronts, upgrade infrastructure, and ensure public access to the water,\u201d said Senator Reed. \u201cPassing this bill would help support and sustain fishermen and other hardworking men and women who make their living on the waterfront.\u201d\n\n\"The working waterfront is our gateway to the amazing seafood we harvest here in Maine and around the country. Without it, we lose crucial connectivity within our local food system and significantly reduce the opportunity that seafood represents,\u201d said Ben Martens, Executive Director of the Maine Coast Fishermen\u2019s Association. \u201cThank you Senator Collins for continuing to advocate for Maine's iconic fishing industry and fighting to bring much-needed resources and attention to our working waterfront communities.\"\n\nWaterfront access is critical to the future of Maine\u2019s lobster industry. You simply can\u2019t make a living from the sea if you aren\u2019t able to get to it,\u201d said Patrice McCarron, President of the Maine Lobstermen\u2019s Association. \u201cThe Maine Lobsterman\u2019s Association commends Senators Collins and Reed for introducing this bipartisan legislation that would help protect existing working waterfront and preserve access for fishermen and the unique character of our fishing communities.\n\n\"The key to maintaining the vibrant character and economic productivity of any American port is adequate support for its working waterfront,\" said Noah Oppenheim, Coordinator of the Fishing Communities Coalition. \"Unfortunately, fishing communities across the country have been struggling to maintain working waterfront access in the face of gentrification, infrastructure issues, sea level rise, and countless additional challenges. This new program will preserve public access to working waterfronts in communities from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico, and Southern California to Western Alaska. The members of the Fishing Communities Coalition express their heartfelt thanks to Senator Collins and Senator Reed for their leadership in introducing this key legislation.\"\n\nAccording to the most recent data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, commercial and recreational fisheries are responsible for more than 1.7 million jobs in the U.S., $253 billion in sales, and $117 billion in value-added impacts.\n\nThe Working Waterfront Preservation Act would establish a $20 million grant program to help municipal and state governments, nonprofit organizations, and participants in maritime industries purchase or improve working waterfront property in coastal states. Grants would be administered by the Economic Development Administration, and successful applicants would need to be endorsed by state fisheries agencies. In order to be eligible for a grant, recipients would be required to permanently protect an area as working waterfront.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "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://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/collins-reed-introduce-bill-to-protect-working-waterfronts"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.933611299842596, "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"}