Page updated on 12/31/07
 

An Update on Working Waterfront Coalition Initiatives
 

    
     Maine’s Working Waterfront Coalition has been hard at work over the past few years to create new tools to keep Maine’s fishing communities viable and waterfronts working. Attendees learned more about several exciting new programs and how they can be of benefit. The discussion included an overview of Maine’s new current use tax program for working waterfronts which will begin in April 2007. Representatives from Maine’s Bureau of Revenue Services explained how working waterfront property owners could take advantage of this important program. The results of the first funding cycle of the Working Waterfront Access Pilot Program was also presented. This program has awarded nearly $1.5 million dollars in public funds to prevent critical working waterfront properties from being converted to other uses and lost forever. Because there are additional funds still available through this program- attendees found out how their projects could benefit from these funds. Finally, the Island Institute presented the results from their Working Waterfront Mapping project which involved meeting with 140 coastal communities and mapping out key working waterfront infrastructure and access points. The Institute also talked about their new initiative to provide funds to complement the Working Waterfront Access Pilot Program to strengthen Maine’s ability to prevent critical working waterfront properties from being lost forever. Attendees learned how these exciting new programs could help them and their communities save working waterfronts.

      Host:  Patrice McCarron, Maine Lobstermen’s Assn. & Sebastian Belle, Maine Aquaculture Association