The U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday it will renegotiate the terms of the Maine Sea Grant.
The Trump administration announced over the weekend that it was discontinuing a four-year, $4.5 million award to Maine Sea Grant, describing the program's activities as "no longer relevant to the focus of the administration’s priorities and program objectives."
But on Wednesday afternoon, Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, announced that after conversations with her the day before, the Commerce Department agreed to modify the terms of the Sea Grant Award.
"Through these bilateral negotiations, the department will ensure that the American people, including hardworking Mainers like lobstermen and fishermen, receive the benefit of the bargain consistent with the Administration’s priorities and continued relevance to program objectives," Vice Adm. Nancy Hahn, the official performing duties of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator, wrote in a memo.
It's unclear what exactly this means, or what specifically is at issue in the original Maine grant proposal.
Collins said she had been in contact with the Trump administration since the news broke Friday night about the Sea Grant funding. She said she spoke with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the program on Tuesday.
“I appreciate the Secretary’s willingness to work together to ensure that Maine Sea Grant can continue to conduct research, support a robust pipeline of skilled labor, and ensure that our coastal economies remain profitable hubs for fishermen, lobstermen, and hospitality workers," Collins said Wednesday in a statement. "It is important that Maine Sea Grant can continue to provide valuable services for communities across the state for years to come."
Maine has been a Sea Grant recipient since 1971. The program, administered by the University of Maine, sponsors marine science and fisheries research initiatives around the state. It directly employs 20 people through the University of Maine, but its projects supported more than 560 jobs around the state in recent years.
U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent, and Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree raised their own concerns about the program's termination in a letter to Lutnick Tuesday.
Maine appeared to be the only one out of the 33 other Sea Grant programs around the country to have its funding revoked. The original announcement came one week after Gov. Janet Mills' public confrontation with President Donald Trump at the White House.
It's unclear whether other Sea Grant programs will also have their terms renegotiated.
