AUGUSTA - On Thursday, Aug. 8, Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, was the keynote speaker at the Second Annual Symposium for the Advancement of Maine's Blue Economy, hosted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Educate Maine, the Maine Aquaculture Association and Southern Maine Community College. Rielly was chosen because of his experience working as a farmhand for oyster farms in Casco Bay and his sponsorship of successful legislation to further protect Maine's last remaining miles of working waterfront.
The symposium convened current and former aquaculture interns and apprentices to learn about innovative practices and new research. Attendees also had the opportunity to continue to cultivate their networks and relationships among peers and industry leaders.
In his speech, Rielly highlighted key measures to help protect Maine's working waterfront that he plans to sponsor in the 132nd Legislature, including creating a Working Waterfront Advisory Council, establishing an ongoing and annual working waterfront resilience grant program and creating community liaison positions that can aid the Working Waterfront Access Protection Program to conduct direct outreach to potential applicants and support communities interested in waterfront preservation.
"In 2025, I intend to introduce bold new policies to support our working waterfronts and those who find employment on them," said Rielly. "Without these vital spaces, our state not only risks losing out on a major source of revenue, we also risk losing a key piece of our identity. Our working waterfronts are part of the soul of our coastal and island communities. They must be made resilient to face future storms."
In response to the damage caused by Maine's winter storms, the Legislature included $60 million in storm relief funding $21.2 million of which has been granted to 68 communities to support the recovery and rebuilding of working waterfronts. Additionally, $25.2 million has been granted to 39 municipalities to mitigate the impact of intense storms, flooding and rising sea levels.
"Unfortunately, our working waterfronts are in danger," said Rielly. "Rising sea levels and more frequent storms due to climate change pose a significant threat to waterfront infrastructure and safe harbor navigation. These are small businesses in many cases family-run that are facing the brunt of the climate crisis. We are seeing this happen now. But that doesnt have to be the case. We can still turn the tide back."
Rielly is serving his second term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Legislatures Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. He represents House District 127, which includes a portion of Westbrook.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Rielly], c. 305-965-2744
Photo: Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, delivers the keynote speech at the Second Annual Symposium for the Advancement of Maine's Blue Economy on Thursday, August 8.