Facing a proposed budget cut from the Trump administration, Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D- Falmouth, helped pass a Massachusetts House resolution defending the Sea Grant College Program, according to a press release.
Locally based out of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the program promotes sustainable economic development and oceanic conservation. The Woods Hole program is one of 33 similar federally funded programs throughout the country.
Last month, the Trump administration called for the elimination of the decades-old program in a budget proposal.
Since its establishment in 1966, the program has worked with local communities to build sustainable aquaculture programs, promote coastal resiliency, and educate the public on environmental issues.
“The Sea Grant Program has helped our communities guard against natural disasters, promote our blue economy, and develop our oceanic resources in a sustainable way. The program has been an indispensable asset to our region, and eliminating it is unacceptable,” Rep. Fernandes said in the release, following the resolution’s passage.
The Sea Grant’s website states that more than $142 million is generated in economic activity each year by the program. The website also states that from February 2016 to January 2017, approximately 900 jobs and 300 businesses were created or sustained by the program.
A copy of the resolution will be sent to each member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, as well as the White House Office of Budget and Management.
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