AUGUSTA – Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, a strong supporter of Maine’s coastal communities and working waterfronts, has condemned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) decision to discontinue its funding for the Maine Sea Grant, a program that has supported thousands of jobs for over 50 years.
“Maine Sea Grant’s work is vital for our coastal communities and fishing and aquaculture industries,” said Rielly. “The fact that staff were notified that funding would be immediately terminated at the 50th Maine Fishermen’s Forum, which Maine Sea Grant originally founded, is cruel and shameful. I urge NOAA to rescind its termination letter. If not, the Maine Legislature should take action to fund this crucial program.”
The current Maine Sea Grant contract with NOAA went into effect on Feb. 1, 2024, and would have awarded Maine Sea Grant more than $4.5 million in additional programmatic operating funds through Jan. 31, 2028, including nearly $1.5 million this year. The termination of this funding is immediate.
Rielly is serving his third term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources and the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. He represents a portion of Westbrook.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Rielly) | 305-965-2744