(The Center Square) – Lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation to safeguard and strengthen working waterfronts by creating a $500 million grant program and preservation loan fund over five years to provide funding options for coastal communities and establish a Working Waterfronts Task Force in the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act, introduced by Rep. Wittman, R-Va., and Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, aims to support coastal communities by ensuring access to working waterfronts for commercial fishing, aquaculture and tourism industries.
“Deteriorating waterfronts don’t just weaken our economy—they erode the heart of our communities, especially in Virginia’s First District,” Wittman said in a statement.
He continued, “Working waterfronts support businesses, provide access to water, drive economic vitality, and enhance our quality of life. Yet, rising pressure from population growth and development threatens to displace Virginia’s water-dependent industries and the families who have deep cultural and historical ties to these areas.”
The proposed legislation would authorize $50 million per year for both the grant and loan funds, totaling $100 million annually from fiscal years 2025 through 2029. Up to 5% of these funds can be used for administrative expenses.
Working waterfronts are essential to local economies and maritime industries, though many face increasing threats, including real estate development, climate change and economic pressures. Rising property values and infrastructure expansion have made it difficult for water-dependent businesses to continue operations.
The Chesapeake Bay region’s working waterfronts are facing increasing challenges from rising sea levels, habitat degradation, and pollution, which will threaten watermen’s livelihoods and the long-term sustainability of coastal conies, according to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s 2025 draft report.
“Heightened demands on working waterfronts in the last decade bring into sharp focus the need for federal legislation such as the Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act. U.S. coastal communities are grappling with a host of challenges, including the loss of working waterfront space to other uses and the impacts of climate change on coastal property and natural resources,” said Kristin Uiterwyk, chair of the National Working Waterfront Network.
The bill establishes a Working Water Front Task Force within the U.S. Department of Commerce to assess challenges and develop solutions for industries dependent on waterfront access.
“The proposed legislation includes important stepping stones to support our working waterfronts with the designation of a task force to identify and address the needs of working waterfront communities and the opportunity to develop waterfront plans making coastal communities eligible for federal funding. These are critical efforts to ensure the economic and social health of our working waterfront communities.”
The Working Waterfronts Grant Program is a competitive, matching grant program that would provide financial support to coastal states, tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to expand and protect access to working waterfronts.
The Preservation Loan Fund, modeled after state drinking loans, would assist in financing waterfront preservation projects.
To qualify for funding, states must submit a plan assessing their working waterfronts’ economic, social, cultural and historical significance. The plan will need to identify at-risk areas and propose strategies for preservation and expansion in alignment with existing coastal management policies.
The bill also mandates that working waterfront plans be developed with input from local stakeholders to ensure preservation efforts align with the community’s needs.
