WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) announced funding he secured for the Middle Peninsula Region through the FY21 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Grants. This grant will assist the planning and revitalization of over 50 worksites on the waterfront, which will provide much-needed support to the seafood industry, watermen, and local businesses.
This $2,018,476 in funding follows a letter of support that Congressman Wittman wrote in July 2021 for the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission’s (MPPDC) RAISE Grant Application. Additionally, this FY21 Consolidated Appropriations Act funding will complement H.R. 3160 - Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act, which Congressman Wittman introduced this Congress and hopes to see become law.
“The public wharves, landings, and harbors in the region have served as critical infrastructure for the region’s seafood and marine economies for centuries, yet many have been neglected in recent years or failed to evolve in a manner that meets the needs of the ever-evolving seafood and marine industry,” said Congressman Wittman. “I am proud to have helped secure this funding that will advance key regional economic development strategies and lead to the implementation of improvements intended to enhance access for seafood and marine industry businesses and the general public. I look forward to the ways in which this project will address the economic challenges and needs of some of the most rural parts of Virginia’s First Congressional District.”
To read Congressman Wittman’s full letter of support, scroll below.
To learn more about the Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act, click here.
July 7, 2021
The Honorable Peter Buttigieg
Secretary, US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington DC, 20590
Secretary Buttigieg:
I am writing you today in support of the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission (MPPDC) in its FY 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) application entitled, Designing Multimodal Working Waterfronts to Meet the 21st Century Needs of Rural Coastal Seafood and Marine Industries to conduct a region-wide planning project that will result in a suite of shovel-ready, high-priority multi-modal transportation infrastructure improvements intended to address critical needs related to the region’s publicly-owned rural working waterfronts. I understand that the proposed planning activities will include the development of a future RAISE application for implementation of a selected number of improvement projects around the region.
The public wharves, landings, and harbors in the region have served as critical infrastructure for the region’s seafood and marine economies for centuries, yet many have been neglected in recent years or failed to evolve in a manner that meets the needs of the ever-evolving seafood and marine industries. The proposed activities are advancing key regional economic development strategies aimed to protect and enhance the region’s rural economies and tax base. I fully support the proposed planning activities which I understand may eventually lead to the implementation of improvements intended to enhance access for seafood and marine industry businesses and the general public. This project, and its suite of shovel-ready projects will address the economic challenges and needs of some of the most rural parts of Virginia’s First Congressional District.
Please consider this letter of support as my strongest possible recommendation for funding of the proposed project. Please contact me at 202-225-4261 if you have any follow-up questions about this proposal and/or my pledged support to contribute to their success.
Sincerely,
Robert J. Wittman
Member of Congress
Congressman Rob Wittman represents the 1st District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, where he serves as the ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.
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wittman.house.gov
