Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker yesterday announced more than $11 million in Seaport Economic Council grants for 24 projects across the state. The funds will help 20 coastal communities, advance projects that benefit the commercial maritime industries, improve recreational access, mitigate the impacts of climate change and advance future dredging.
The grants were approved yesterday at a meeting of the Seaport Economic Council that Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito chaired at Plymouth Town Hall.
“I want to thank Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito and all the members of the Seaport Economic Council for their tireless work advancing Massachusetts’ Coastal Communities,” Baker said in a statement. “Since taking office, our administration has been proud to award over $87 million through the Seaport Economic Council to support 190 projects that promote economic development, recreation and climate resiliency along our shoreline.”
Added Polito, “It has been an honor to serve as chair of the Seaport Economic Council, a role in which I’ve been able to learn from, partner with and advance the work of local leaders in communities up and down our coast. At our final meeting today, we are thrilled to invest over $11 million for projects aimed at protecting and improving our waterfronts.”
The Seaport Economic Council was relaunched in Aug. 2015 with a mission to deepen the maritime economy, promote economic development and support resilient infrastructure in all 78 of Massachusetts’ coastal communities. The group awards grant funding to municipalities and other entities to support projects that promote job creation and economic growth, public-private partnerships, educational opportunities and planning and permitting of saltwater dredging. After the latest round of grants, the council has invested more than $87 million via 190 grants in 55 coastal communities.
“Improving our marine infrastructure is essential to expanding our blue economy,” Senator Susan Moran said in the statement. “This funding will allow Plymouth and Falmouth to improve accessibility to our waterways for both commercial and recreational use and support a thriving industry.”
Representative Kathy LaNatra called Plymouth Harbor, “a vibrant hub of economic activity,” and added, “This investment into such a crucial aspect of it will go a long way to continuing to grow Plymouth Harbor and the surrounding area.”
In addition to Plymouth Harbor, other towns and cities receiving grant funding include Barnstable, Beverly, Chatham, Dartmouth, Duxbury, Edgartown, Fairhaven, Fall River, Falmouth, Gosnold, Manchester, Marion, Nantucket, New Bedford, Provincetown, Salem and Scituate.
