March 20, 2024 — U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced this week that she has secured $15 million dollars to help coastal communities in Maine rebuild, following infrastructure damage caused by recent storms.
The Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill includes $10 million through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which will go towards repairing and renovating infrastructure affected by storms that hit the coast in December 2023 and January of this year. The legislation also includes $5 million to create a new program at the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for working waterfronts.
“Maine’s working waterfronts are the economic engine of our coastal communities, but recent damaging weather events have posed significant challenges to their resilience and underscored the urgent need for federal assistance,” said Senator Collins. “This investment aims to revitalize working waterfronts across the country, allowing communities like Harpswell to recover from severe storm damage whose financial toll exceeds the capacity of local government to meet.”