Courtney Leads Bipartisan Letter to Support Full Funding for the National Sea Grant College Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), along with Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY), led a bipartisan group of 107 members of the House of Representatives in calling on the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies to continue their support for the National Sea Grant College Program. The members highlighted the Sea Grant program's role in cultivating our nation's aquaculture economy.

In addition, Connecticut Sea Grant (CTSG) has been awarded $368,300 in federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). After receiving an initial grant of $216,300 in February, CTSG's total grant funding for 2018 is now $584,600 for 2018. CTSG is based at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus in Groton.

"With imported seafood making up 90% of American seafood consumption, our nation should be focusing on programs to expand and improve our domestic aquaculture industry," wrote the members. "Sea Grant is a program that does just that—helping fishermen and shellfish farmers navigate a complex patchwork of state and federal coastal zone management regulations through technical assistance. Sea Grant works with local producers to grow and sustain their business models while connecting them to local resources to share best practices."

The full letter text is below and available online

March 16, 2018

Chairman John Culberson
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies
Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Ranking Member José Serrano

Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice,

Science, and Related Agencies

Committee on Appropriations

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Serrano:

As you develop the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, we urge your support for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program—a program critically important to shoreline states throughout the country.

Across the nation, thirty-three universities participate in the National Sea Grant Program—a federal-state partnership which provides critical services to a wide range of constituents in every coastal and Great Lakes state, and U.S. territories. Sea Grant contributes to making coastal communities more resilient while also aiding our aquaculture industries in navigating federal and state regulations. In this sense, Sea Grant serves as the coastal, marine-based equivalent of Agriculture Extension programs.

With imported seafood making up 90% of American seafood consumption, our nation should be focusing on programs to expand and improve our domestic aquaculture industry. Sea Grant is a program that does just that—helping fishermen and shellfish farmers navigate a complex patchwork of state and federal coastal zone management regulations through technical assistance. Sea Grant works with local producers to grow and sustain their business models while connecting them to local resources to share best practices.

The economic impact of the Sea Grant Program highlights the benefit of this federal investment. According to the 2016 performance metrics of the program, Sea Grant contributed to creating and sustaining 20,770 jobs and 2,903 businesses. On top of business and job creation, Sea Grant logged a staggering 265,602 volunteer hours in 2016. Further, the program contributed to $575 million in economic impact—nearly half of our nation's $1.2 billion aquaculture economy.

The National Sea Grant Program is a known job creator that is highly leveraged to maximize the effectiveness of federal investment. This program serves as the primary resource for our coastal small businesses and fishing communities. We urge you to continue your support for this important program.

Sincerely,

Rep. Joe Courtney

Rep. Lee M. Zeldin

Rep. Alma S. Adams

Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán

Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

Rep. Madeleine Z. Bordallo

Rep. Anthony G. Brown

Rep. Julia Brownley

Rep. G. K. Butterfield

Rep. Michael E. Capuano

Rep. Salud O. Carbajal

Rep. Earl L. "Buddy" Carter

Rep. Kathy Castor

Rep. David N. Cicilline

Rep. Gerald E. Connolly

Rep. Charlie Crist

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings

Rep. Carlos Curbelo

Rep. Susan A. Davis

Rep. Peter A. DeFazio

Rep. John K. Delaney

Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro

Rep. Suzan K. DelBene

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier

Rep. Ted Deutch

Rep. Debbie Dingell

Rep. Daniel M. Donovan, Jr.

Rep. Neal P. Dunn

Rep. Keith Ellison

Rep. Eliot L. Engel

Rep. Anna G. Eshoo

Rep. Adriano Espaillat

Rep. Elizabeth H. Esty

Rep. John J. Faso

Rep. Brian K. Fitzpatrick

Rep. Marcia L. Fudge

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

Rep. Mike Gallagher

Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón

Rep. Al Green

Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa

Rep. Alcee L. Hastings

Rep. Denny Heck

Rep. Brian Higgins

Rep. James A. Himes

Rep. Jared Huffman

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

Rep. Pramila Jayapal

Rep. Walter B. Jones

Rep. John Katko

Rep. William R. Keating

Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III

Rep. Ro Khanna

Rep. Ron Kind

Rep. Peter T. King

Rep. John B. Larson

Rep. Robert E. Latta

Rep. Brenda L. Lawrence

Rep. Barbara Lee

Rep. Sander M. Levin

Rep. Ted W. Lieu

Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo

Rep. Zoe Lofgren

Rep. Alan Lowenthal

Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney

Rep. Tom Marino

Rep. A. Donald McEachin

Rep. Patrick Meehan

Rep. Gwen Moore

Rep. Seth Moulton

Rep. Stephanie Murphy

Rep. Jerrold Nadler

Rep. Richard M. Nolan

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton

Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.

Rep. Jimmy Panetta

Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr.

Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr.

Rep. Scott H. Peters

Rep. Chellie Pingree

Rep. Bruce Poliquin

Rep. Bill Posey

Rep. Jamie Raskin

Rep. Kathleen M. Rice

Rep. Cedric L. Richmond

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Rep. David Rouzer

Rep. John P. Sarbanes

Rep. Albio Sires

Rep. Louise M. Slaughter

Rep. Christopher H. Smith

Rep. Adam Smith

Rep. Darren Soto

Rep. Jackie Speier

Rep. Steve Stivers

Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi

Rep. Paul D. Tonko

Rep. Juan Vargas

Rep. Timothy J. Walz

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Rep. Peter Welch

Rep. Robert J. Wittman

Rep. Ted S. Yoho

Rep. Don Young

###