The Maine Sea Grant College Program will receive $574,691 from the federal government under a funding stream that President Trump proposed eliminating this year.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine made the announcement Friday about the award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that “will be used to advance sustainable use and environmental conservation efforts along Maine’s coast led by the University of Maine.”
“Thousands of Mainers in our state’s coastal communities rely on fishing, lobstering, and other ocean-related industries for their livelihoods,” the senators said in a statement. “The National Sea Grant program has helped these businesses thrive by funding critical research that helps us better understand, utilize, and protect one of our state’s natural resources, and we are heartened by its continued partnership with the University of Maine.”
In February, NOAA’s Sea Grant Program was among several federal programs targeted by Trump for cuts in his proposed budget. Broad bipartisan support saved the program, which received $65 million in this year’s final federal budget – $2 million more than its previous appropriation.
Read the full story from the Portland Press Herald at CentralMaine.com