WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King announced today the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has passed the Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act, legislation he cosponsored that would boost efforts to revitalize waterfront communities. The bill now moves to the full Senate.

“Maine’s waterfront communities are not only a central part of our state’s heritage, but they’re also a crucial part of our state’s economy, generating hundreds of millions of dollars every year,” Senator King said. “These communities are also undergoing significant changes – from modernizing outdated infrastructure to developing strategies to deal with climate change. This legislation would help streamline government resources for these communities so they can have the tools and resources needed to grow, adapt, and sustain themselves in the future.

The Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act will support community efforts to make the most of water resources by attracting water-dependent industries and investments that leverage water-proximity to sustainably revitalize neighborhoods and enhance recreation and tourism. In addition, the bill will support communities to plan for their future and help them attract private and non-profit investment.

Many waterfront communities were built around their water resources years ago, and they are now working to reposition and overcome issues such as limited public access and poor alignment with modern development. In addition to adapting to economic shifts, waterfront communities are facing pressures to meet increasing demands on water resources; make resilient investments that can withstand weather extremes like storms, floods, and fluctuating water levels; and adapt to changing ecosystem conditions that range from shoreline erosion to stresses on fisheries.

Waterfront planning and implementation requires communities to navigate intergovernmental hurdles, work across constituent groups and agencies, and secure financing. But many communities lack the tools to make it from vision to reality – despite the economic returns from revitalization and the payoff that resiliency preparation can provide in the long term.

The Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act aims to solve these problems by:

• Creating a voluntary Resilient Waterfront Community designation within the Department of Commerce. The designation recognizes communities that adopt a waterfront revitalization and resiliency plan integrating economic, ecosystem, and infrastructure challenges and opportunities.

• Establishing a Resilient Waterfront Communities network to support sharing of best practices, highlight Resilient Waterfront Communities, and help attract new investment.

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