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Feature Articles
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$400,000 headed to Gulf of Maine states for habitat
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This article is reprinted with permission of Commercial Fisheries News, the Northeast's fishing newspaper for over 30 years, ©2003 Compass Publications Inc. Commercial Fisheries News is published monthly; annual subscriptions are $21.95. To subscribe or request a sample issue: call (877) 263-4496; fax (207) 367-2490; e-mail (cfoster@fish-news.com); or click on the hot link.
SILVER SPRING, MD - The Gulf of Maine Council
on the Marine Environment is the latest recipient of a major grant
from the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Community-based
Restoration Program (CRP) to fund projects aimed at restoring coastal
fisheries habitat.
On Sept. 5, NMFS and the Gulf of Maine council issued a joint news
statement announcing that $400,000 was being made available to fund
the final year of a three-year partnership to sponsor projects in
Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and the provinces of New Brunswick
and Nova Scotia, Canada.
Since 2001, CRP and the council have funded 22 restoration projects.
Among them were:
- Herring run, ladder, and brook restorations in Massachusetts;
- Salt marsh restoration, enhancement, and monitoring in Maine,
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Nova Scotia;
- Coastal habitat invasive species monitoring in Massachusetts;
- Oyster habitat establishment in Massachusetts;
- Road run-off reduction in Maine; and
- Dam and causeway removal and modification in Maine and New Hampshire.
“So much of New Hampshire’s and New England’s
economy and heritage (are) linked to the health and vitality of
the North Atlantic. The future of our marine economy is directly
tied to responsibly addressing the issues of environmental protection
and reasonable fish harvesting,” said US Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH),
chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees
NMFS/CRP funding.
Missions
CRP is a financial and technical assistance
program within the NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation. Its purpose
is to promote “strong partnerships at the national, regional,
and local level to fund grassroots, community-based activities.”
The mission of the Gulf of Maine council is to “maintain
and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine to allow
for sustainable resource use by existing and future generations.”
In August, NMFS announced a similar $150,000 grant to Ocean Trust,
a group of seafood and fishing companies from around the US that
support research on environmental and fisheries issues, public
and media outreach, and habitat restoration.
More information on CRP is available on the Internet at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration.
To find out more about the Gulf of Maine council, visit http://gulfofmaine.org.
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