WEEKLY SENATE UPDATE

A HEALTHY MAINE ECONOMY DEPENDS ON A HEALTHY SEA

With all the news surrounding the current red tide outbreak, Mainers are even more aware than usual that our state’s abundant marine resources are an essential part of our economy and cultural identity as a coastal state. Because of this, we must continually work to improve the management of these resources and ensure that they not only survive, but that they thrive.  Much of this responsibility falls on the federal government, and as Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Fisheries and the Coast Guard, I have been working to address Maine’s most pressing marine resource issues in the 109^th Congress. 

            Healthy fishing industries and recreational opportunities form the backbone coastal towns’ economies.   More than $117 billion of the United State’s economy and more than 2.8 million jobs are directly based on ocean attributes.  The nation’s commercial fishing industry- a vital sector of Maine’s economy- constitutes more than $28 billion of this ocean revenue.  Managing these resources in a sustainable way is not an option – it is imperative that we preserve the ecosystem productivity and aesthetic character of our coasts. 

This economic reality cannot be overstated, and threats to its continued viability must be promptly addressed.  For instance, by virtue of my chairmanship, I considered it my duty to request a briefing from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the current red tide outbreak, which has forced the closure of shellfish beds from Bar Harbor to Martha’s Vineyard. This outbreak threatens Maine’s coastal communities and economies and the hearing is essential to understanding the situation and figuring out how best to move forward on the problem.  I’ve asked NOAA to explain the ecological and economic ramifications, offer a forecast as to how long this condition will persist, outline what they are doing to work with states and pursue a coordinated response, what federal programs are available to help, and what federal legislation is needed to authorize assistance. Once we have answers to these questions, we will be able to take steps to mitigate the negative effects of the red tide.

Staying informed through consultation with federal agencies is important, but the flip side of that coin is listening to Mainers’ concerns regarding marine resources management.  In order to write the best and most informed legislation possible regarding fisheries, I recently held listening sessions with Maine fishermen and others on the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act. I am well aware of how vital it is to take the opinions of those who are dealing with fisheries management on a daily basis into account as well as be more responsive the needs of Maine fishermen.  The insight I and my staff gleaned from these listening sessions will serve me well as my committee hammers out the details of a final bill. 

Another element of successful marine resource management is the recognition that coastal development must take natural resource conservation into account. Because coastal management issues do not know state borders, it makes sense to foster state-federal partnerships on the funding programs that support our coastal communities.  That said, our overarching goal should be to empower states and localities to the greatest extent possible.  After all, each state has a unique social and economic situation.  

Consequently, I have advocated for swift Senate action on the Coastal Zone Management Reauthorization Act.  This law has enabled coastal states to manage and develop their environments and resources in a sound, sustainable manner since 1972 because it established an immensely successful state-federal framework for coastal zone management. However, the increasing pressures facing our coastal regions continue to evolve in scope and complexity so we must update the Act as we reauthorize it.

In recognition of the increasing and sometimes overwhelming pressures for development along our coastline, I am also a co-sponsor of the Coastal & Estuarine Land Protection (CELP) Act. This legislation will give states the option to manage growth through grants for voluntary land protection along the coast and coastal estuaries, providing them another tool they can use to work on the problem of coastal management.

It is clear that we need a comprehensive and integrated national ocean policy. There is no better investment than in our marine policies and programs and by extension, our coastal resources and those who depend on them. We must fund priority programs that play an indispensable role in maintaining the health and integrity of our nation’s marine resources as well as conserve this invaluable natural resource so that it will always be able to support coastal communities and the livelihoods of coastal residents. We must make healthy, productive oceans our goal because Mainers, and our country, deserve nothing less.