Maine's Congressional Delegation and Governor Mills Continue Push to Prohibit Offshore Wind Development in Maine Fishing Grounds

Press Release

"We appreciate that BOEM has listened to our requests, and those of Maine's fishing community, and removed Lobster Management Area (LMA) 1 from the Draft ... Given these past communications with BOEM, we are concerned that the Draft WEA identifies Secondary Areas A and B-- encompassing more than 200,000 acres in LMA 1 -- as areas for offshore wind that BOEM may incorporate in a final WEA following additional input on their suitability and potential conditions for inclusion. Given the importance of these fishing grounds to Maine's fishing industry, the significant feedback that your agency has already received, and the recently passed Maine law that disincentivizes development in LMA 1, it is clear these areas are inappropriate for inclusion in the final Wind Energy Area.

As BOEM moves forward with the identification of the Final WEAs, we strongly encourage you to work closely with Maine's fishing industry to understand existing uses and reduce impacts to the heavily regulated offshore groundfish fleet. We want to ensure that any areas leased in the Gulf of Maine avoid and at the very least minimize impacts to the fishing industry whenever possible."

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