Report: $3B needed to restore Gulf of Maine
A new report from the Gulf of Maine Restoration Coalition says remedying the environmental problems in the Gulf of Maine will cost more than $3 billion over the next five years.
The report, "U.S. Gulf of Maine Habitat Restoration and Conservation Plan," found that implementing conservation efforts -- including restoring fish and wildlife habitats, and developing ecosystem and ocean management plans -- will cost $3.03 billion, not including funding needed for the long term. The costliest initiative, at $2.7 billion, includes upgrading outdated sewage treatment systems to reduce pollution, remediating contaminated soils and launching stricter water quality testing. Restoring and conserving the gulf's ecosystems will create jobs and benefit the region's fishing, recreational and tourism industries, according to the report.
The report is a two-year collaborative effort among federal and state agencies and nonprofit organizations in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, led by Peter Alexander of Talking Conservation. The next step is to convince Congress to make the initiative a congressionally authorized action in order to receive funding, Alexander told The Associated Press. Securing funding could take a couple of years, he said.
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