{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-poliquin-applaud-6-million-usda-investment-in-private-road-infrastructure-and-fish-habitat-in-northern-and-eastern-maine", "Collins, King, Poliquin Applaud $6 Million USDA Investment in Private Road Infrastructure and Fish Habitat in Northern and Eastern Maine", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Collins, King, Poliquin Applaud $6 Million USDA Investment in Private Road Infrastructure and Fish Habitat in Northern and Eastern Maine\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCollaborative project led by Nature Conservancy in partnership with more than two dozen other groups\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 21, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Congressman Bruce Poliquin applauded today\u2019s announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding a $6 million grant to a Maine partnership led by the Nature Conservancy that will\u00a0help private forestland owners\u00a0reduce the impacts that flooding has on road networks and restore more than 250 miles of fish habitat in northern and eastern Maine. Senators Collins and King and Congressman Poliquin wrote a joint letter of support for the initiative, called the Maine Aquatic Connectivity Restoration Project, in September.\r\n\u201cBy restoring and reconnecting waterways and improving roads and bridges, this project will help improve fish habitats and enhance the forest economy in northern and eastern Maine,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Collins.\u00a0 \u201cI commend The Nature Conservancy for partnering with local landowners and others on this collaborative effort that\u00a0will help protect our environment, improve fishing, and benefit communities throughout the region.\u201d\r\n\u201cThis project represents the very best of Maine \u2013 environmental stewardship combined with economic growth and driven by innovative collaboration \u2013 all of which once again shows that, in Maine, preserving our environment and building our economy can go hand-in-hand,\u201d\u00a0Senator King said.\u00a0\u201cI commend the Nature Conservancy for bringing this group together with the shared goal of improving fish habitats while also strengthening our forest roadway infrastructure, and appreciate the significant investment in Maine\u2019s future from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.\u201d\r\n\u201cOur State\u2019s fisheries and coastal habitats are treasures and key parts of Maine\u2019s identity, providing for thousands of jobs through tourism, harvesting and other critical industries,\u201d\u00a0said Congressman Poliquin. \u201cI\u2019m proud to have urged support for this important project and am thrilled to see its approval to help advance our infrastructure and protect our environment and the thousands of Maine families who depend on it.\u201d\r\nThe 5-year Maine Aquatic Connectivity Restoration Project aims to replace several hundred culverts and fix fractured aquatic connectivity to over a dozen priority watersheds with the goal of restoring 250 miles of brooks, streams and rivers in northern and eastern Maine. This\u00a0partnership is led by the Nature Conservancy and includes more than two dozen entities that include private forestland owners, tribal communities, federal agencies, conservation groups and local operators.\u00a0\r\nThe grant announced today comes through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which is administered by the USDA\u2019s Natural Resources Conservation Service.\r\n###", 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://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-poliquin-applaud-6-million-usda-investment-in-private-road-infrastructure-and-fish-habitat-in-northern-and-eastern-maine"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7946579717099667, "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"}