Maine Department of Marine Resources to hold public meeting for input on Marine Jobs Initiative

HALLOWELL— The Maine Department of Marine Resources will hold a public meeting Tuesday, April 14 to solicit input that will inform the development of the Request for Proposals for a $7 million dollar general obligation bond intended to increase jobs and business opportunity in Maine's marine economy.

The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. in room 106 of the Natural Resources Service Center at 6 Beech Street in Hallowell. Entrance is at the rear of the building and parking can be found in lots next to the 6 Beech Street location and the adjacent Department of Marine Resources building at 2 Beech Street.

In November 2014, the citizens of Maine approved a $7 million dollar general obligation bond "to facilitate the growth of marine businesses and commercial enterprises that create jobs and improve the sustainability of the State's marine economy and related industries through capital investments."

The Maine Departments of Economic and Community Development and Marine Resources issued a request for public input by email in March on the development of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for this competitive award.

Similar to the previous request, input at the April 14 meeting is being sought from all interested parties, including private and public sectors, commercial and nonprofit enterprises, in all sectors of the marine economy, research community or interested public.
Specifically, the Department seeks input on the following questions:

· What conditions and synergies will lead to job growth in Maine's marine industries?

· In which sectors do you see the greatest opportunities for innovation in the marine economy?
· What investments can we make to support the growth of our marine economy from one that is largely dependent on a wild-caught fishery with traditional processing to a hub of innovation with added value throughout the seafood and marine products supply chain?

· What capital investments are needed to expand opportunity for private sector growth in the marine economy, and what has prevented these investments from being made previously?

· What publicly shared resources or investments will provide the greatest benefit to a diverse array of businesses seeking to grow or move new products to commercialization?

The final RFP will seek applications that exhibit growth in each of four areas, including 1) traditional commercial fishing; 2) aquaculture; 3) value-added seafood processing; and 4) market development for Maine products.

RFP applicants also must include a representative from each of the following entities: 1) a marine-based research program at a private or public university of a nonprofit research institution; 2) commercial fishing or aquaculture interests; 3) community-based organizations committed to growth of local economy; and 4) private sector businesses. The bond funds will be issued as a single award, which must be matched by at least $7,000,000 in private and other funds.

Answers to the aforementioned questions will also be accepted by in writing no later than April 22, 2015. Comments may be submitted by email to MarineJobsBond.DMR@Maine.gov or by mail to Maine Department of Marine Resources, Attn: Meredith Mendelson, 21 State House Station, Augusta ME 04333.

Rep. Burstein introduces measure to help state meet public health goals

AUGUSTA – A measure from Rep. Christine Burstein, D-Lincolnville, would help keep Maine on track to meet its public health goals.

"This measure is about doing all we can to make sure Maine families are healthy," said Burstein, a family nurse practitioner, in a news release. "It will help ensure our state is taking appropriate steps to enhance infant and reproductive health and wellness and allow us to take a hard look at the areas in which we need to improve."

Burstein's bill would require the Maine Center for Disease Control to report to the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee on state-led efforts to achieve reproductive health goals laid out in Healthy Maine 2020, a document in which the Maine CDC lays out its public health goals.

Healthy Maine 2020 goals in the area of reproductive health include reducing preterm births and the infant mortality rate, increasing the proportion of pregnant women who receive adequate prenatal care and decreasing the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs by pregnant women.

The measure would give lawmakers the opportunity to evaluate the state's progress and determine how best to support efforts to meet goals where progress is lagging behind.

The Maine CDC also lays out goals in other areas of public health in the document, including chronic disease, infectious disease, substance abuse and mental health.

The bill, LD 1149, will be scheduled for a public hearing before the Committee on Health and Human Services in the coming weeks.

Burstein is serving her first term in the Maine House and is a member of the Health and Human Services Committee. She represents Belmont, Liberty, Lincolnville, Montville, Morrill, Palermo and Searsmont.