Projects that support commercial marine-related businesses are invited to apply for state funding through the Working Waterfront Access Program.
Funds are available for properties that retain their use for fishing, aquaculture and closely related commercial marine activities.
The Land for Maine’s Future board, working with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, will make awards from $1.2 million in funds approved by Gov. Janet Mills and the Legislature in the fiscal year 2022-23 budget.
Eligible applicants include private landowners, nonprofit land conservation organizations, counties, cities, towns and state agencies.
A proposal workbook, containing the information applicants need, can be viewed on the Working Waterfront Access Program page, under the Land for Maine’s Future section on the Maine Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation website.
“The importance of protecting our heritage industries, like fishing, farming, and forestry, is paramount,” said Judy Camuso, commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and board chair at Land for Maine’s Future. “These are essential to our way of life; they are the cornerstones of our communities and the foundation of our economy.”
Land for Maine’s Future was established in 1987 through a $35 million bond approved by Maine voters. The program has helped conserve 33 working waterfront properties and has established 75 water access sites, offering 67 miles of protected shoreline along rivers, lakes, and ponds. Additionally, the program has safeguarded 45 farms, securing 10,517 acres of farmland, and has repurposed 158 miles of former railroad corridors into recreational trails.
