{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-announce-lwcf-grants-to-help-preserve-parks-and-public-lands-across-maine", "Senators Collins, King Announce LWCF Grants to Help Preserve Parks and Public Lands Across Maine", "2015-10-13", "2015", "2015-10", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Collins, King Announce LWCF Grants to Help Preserve Parks and Public Lands Across Maine\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, October 13, 2015\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced today that the National Park Service has awarded funding to 10 organizations and municipalities throughout the state of Maine. This funding is provided through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a partnership program that provides matching funds to states and local communities for conservation of parks and open space\r\nThe LWCF is Americas most successful conservation and outdoor recreation program. The LWCF has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining outdoor recreation space in Maine and across our nation. These important investments will help protect and preserve a number of Maines parks and recreation facilities that are vital not only to our communities, but to our way of life, said Senators Collins and King.\r\nThe LWCF is a partnership program that provides matching funds to states and local communities for acquisition, development, and conservation of parks and open spaces.                \r\nDespite strong support bipartisan support for the LWCF, on September 30th, 2015, the authority to collect revenue into the LWCF Fund expired.\r\nWhile the program will continue to be funded under the short-term funding agreement beyond the September 30 expiration date, we must act quickly to make certain this critical program is properly supported, Senators Collins and King continued. We have long advocated for a permanent reauthorization of the LWCF to ensure that this important connection to our nations conservation effort in Maine and across our country is not lost. We will continue to work with our colleagues on both sides of the isle to permanently extend our nations premier federal conservation program.\r\nSenator Collins and Senator King are both cosponsors of bipartisan legislation that would permanently reauthorize LWCF, S. 338.\r\nIn September, a bipartisan coalition of 53 senators led by Senators Collins, Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and joined by Senator King, authored a letter calling on Senate leadership to permanently reauthorize and adequately fund the nations premier federal conservation program, now in its 50th year. \r\nIn June, Senators Collins and Steve Daines (R-MT) offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2016 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill which was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee and passed as part of the reported bill. The amendment adds another $13.9 million for the LWCF Program, bringing it in line with the current funding level.\r\nIn a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing earlier this year, Senator King called on Congress to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the program, and in July, he voted in support of a bill that would also reauthorize the program.\r\nThe award recipients are listed below:\r\nProject Sponsor: State of Maine, Bureau of Parks and Lands\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $135,000\r\nProject name: Trail Head ParkingFour Seasons Adventure Trail\r\nProject Description: Awarded for the 3.8 acres that will be used for public parking and recreational users of the Four Seasons Adventure Multi-Use Rail Trail in Newport.\r\n\r\nProject Sponsor: Town of Swans Island\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $14,809.50\r\nProject name: Mill Pond Park Playground\r\nProject Description: Awarded for a new playground at the Mill Pond Park in the Town of Swans Island. The existing play equipment is in need of replacement.\r\n\r\nProject Sponsor: Town of St. Agatha\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $20,000\r\nProject name: St. Agatha Recreation Park and Boat Launch Park Renovation\r\nProject Description: Awarded for renovations to 2 existing community playground facilities in St. Agatha, including the St. Agatha Recreation Park and the St. Agatha Beach and Boat Launch Park.\r\n\r\nProject Sponsor: Maine Bureau of Parks and Public Lands\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $60,000\r\nProject name: Veterans Fishing Pier at Songo Locks\r\nProject Description: Awarded for the Veterans Fishing Pier at Songo Locks project, which includes the development of two new fishing platforms, and ADA compliant walkway, a hand-carry boat launch, and approximately 85 of shoreline stabilization.\r\n\r\nProject Sponsor: Town of York\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $75,190.50\r\nProject name: bog Road Recreational complexPhase II Amenities\r\nProject Description: Awarded for the Bog Road Athletic Field project, which includes enhancements to a recently constructed multi-purpose athletic field in the Town of York\r\n\r\nProject Sponsor: Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $25,000\r\nProject name: Lemoine State Park Group Shelter\r\nProject Description: Awarded to construct an open air shelter/pavilion at the Lamoine State Park for use by groups camping and to buffer the weather during cool periods on the Maine coast.\r\n\r\nProject Sponsor: Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $25,000\r\nProject name: Mt. Blue State Park Nature Center\r\nProject Description: Awarded for the rehabilitation of the foundation and support structures of the Nature Center at Mt. Blue State Park in Franklin County.\r\n\r\nProject Sponsor: Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $35,000\r\nProject name: Popham Beach State Park Entrance Expansion\r\nProject Description: Awarded to increase the capacity of the entrance to Popham Beach State Park with the construction of an additional travel land and entrance booth.\r\n\r\nProject Sponsor: Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $15,000\r\nProject name: Colonial Pemaquid Floats\r\nProject Description: Awarded to replace seven floats at the Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site, which will provide continued fishing and boating access.\r\n\r\nProject Sponsor: Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands\r\nAmount of Grant Award: $200,000\r\nProject name: Sebago Lake State Park Headquarters\r\nProject Description: Awarded for the replacement of the Sebago Lake State Park headquarters facility. The new facility will replace the one destroyed by a fire. This facility will provide services to the entire park that include: law enforcement; a warming hut area for hikers, skiers, bikers, campers, boaters, etc; reception area for outdoor recreation information and registration on camping, fishing, boating, trails, safety and rescue, etc; and public restrooms and meeting area. This headquarters will be the hub of services for park and recreation users at this state park.\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/senators-collins-king-announce-lwcf-grants-to-help-preserve-parks-and-public-lands-across-maine"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9491879027336836, "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"}