Pingree Secures $70.9M for Maine Fish Passage Projects
TL/DR –
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries has recommended $70.9 million in funding to improve fish migration in Maine rivers. More than $17 million will be allocated for specific tribal funding to improve habitat access for certain migratory species, while $53.5 million will be distributed to various entities, including the Maine Department of Marine Resources and The Nature Conservancy, to improve fish passage in several rivers. The funding is intended to bolster Maine’s conservation efforts, restore access to healthy habitats, and support the sustainability of commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree Announces $70.9M Federal Funding for Fish Migration Improvements in Maine
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries has recommended $70.9 million in federal funding to improve fish migration in Maine rivers under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), announced congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine). The funding includes $17 million for the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point and the Penobscot Indian Nation to improve habitat access for alewives, endangered Atlantic salmon, and other migratory species. Meanwhile, $53.5 million will be distributed to the Maine Department of Marine Resources, The Nature Conservancy, the City of Auburn, Maine Rivers, and the Downeast Salmon Federation to enhance fish passage in various rivers.
“Migratory fish species are vital to Maine’s biodiversity and the health of our water bodies. They’re also important to the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes who have harvested these species for millennia,” stated Pingree. “This funding will support Maine’s conservation efforts, restore healthy habitats, and sustain commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries.”
Details on Funding Allocation
The funds are to be allocated as follows:
- $12 million to the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point for increasing fish passage at the Woodland Dam on the St. Croix River, improving access for alewife and other migratory species.
- $5.4 million to the Penobscot Indian Nation to address five barriers in the Penobscot and St. George River watersheds, enhancing fish accessibility and supporting tribal outreach.
- $7.5 million to the Maine Department of Marine Resources to continue improving fish passage at the Woodland Dam, benefitting species like alewife, American shad, and American eel.
- $19.9 million to The Nature Conservancy to improve fish passage on the Piscataquis River, reconnecting significant habitat in the Penobscot Salmon Habitat Recovery Unit.
- $3.5 million to the City of Auburn to remove the Littlefield Dam, reopening habitats for endangered Atlantic salmon and other migratory species, while also supporting local community benefits.
- $13.5 million to Maine Rivers for improving fish passage at multiple sites, thereby reducing flood risk and removing aging infrastructure.
- $9.1 million to the Downeast Salmon Federation to remove the Cherryfield Ice Control Dam on the Narraguagus River, allowing unimpeded fish migration.
NOAA Fisheries announced a total of $240 million in funding and $38 million in future year funding for 46 fish passage projects through Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants and Tribal Priority Fish Passage Grants. This adds to the over US Economic News