The Appropriations Committee finally approved an $83 million bond package at 1 in the morning Wednesday, moving money around to find $2 million to help preserve working waterfront.

Despite two days of negotiations, the bottom line didn’t change from last week when Republican leadership said they wouldn’t go over the $83-million mark. Republicans had their way because bond packages need two-thirds approval. The final package will be voted on Friday by the full Legislature, which could propose changes from the floor. Voters statewide will have the final say in November.

The package is almost identical to what was approved by leadership last week, except $1 million each was culled from the transportation and environmental bonds to fund a pilot project to keep waterfront land used for commercial fishing from being developed.

What will be presented to the Legislature is $10 million for the Land for Maine’s Future program; $20 million for job creation and economic development; $33 million for transportation projects; $9 million for the environment; $9 million for building projects in the Community College and University systems; and $2 million for the pilot working waterfront program.

The working waterfront bond will help make sure at least a few parcels of land, including piers, currently being used by commercial fishing businesses won’t be sold for housing or some other high-value use.

The money, everyone agreed, won’t buy much, given what waterfront property is going for these days, but it will serve as a pilot program and perhaps pave the way for more funding in the future.

Simply stated the program will offer grants so fisherman can hold onto their water access. Right now, “they can’t afford to own an asset that they absolutely have to have,” said Tim Glidden, director of the Land for Maine’s Future program, which will coordinate the working waterfront grants.

Rep. Stephen Bowen, R-Rockport, a member of Appropriations, helped put together the language for administrating the grants.

“I want to have this program. There’s a very, very critical need to stop the hemorrhaging of land away from the working waterfront,” he said.

The money for working waterfront included $1 million from the transportation package, which will be made up from surplus funds in the transportation budget carried over from the last fiscal year. Transportation bond projects approved by the committee include $27 million for roads and bridges; $1.5 million for small harbor improvements; $1.7 million for aviation; $2 million for ferry services; $400,000 for pedestrian and bicycle trails; and $500,000 for transit and buses.

The other $1 million came from the environmental package by eliminating money for lead paint removal from low-income households. Republican leadership said that part of the bond wasn’t needed since the Legislature this past session passed a 25-cents-per-gallon tax on paint to fund education about lead poisoning. Still included in the environmental package are funds for agricultural irrigation programs; wastewater treatment; water pollution control; and upgrading public water systems.

The $20 million for economic development and jobs includes $8 million for biomedical research statewide and $4 million for marine research, along with investments in the University System, including the graduate biomedical sciences program in Bangor and the college career center in Lewiston/Auburn. Bonds also were approved for business loans administered by FAME; a career center in western Washington County; and, $1 million for cultural programs.

The $9 million for higher education will fund $5 million in building renovations at Maine Community College campuses statewide; $2 million in renovations at University of Maine campuses; and, $2 million toward the building of the Osher Lifelong Learning Center at the University of Southern Maine.

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