NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (AP) - Officials say a proposal from President Trump’s administration to slash $30 million from the national Sea Grant program could mean the end of Rhode Island Sea Grant as soon as April.
The Westerly Sun reports (https://bit.ly/2oHjo5z ) Sea Grant officials have urged Rhode Islanders to contact their representatives in Washington and ask them to guarantee that the organization’s $2 million in federal funding will continue.
Dennis Nixon, state Sea Grant director, says the program has been left off the Republican president’s requests for funding in fiscal 2018 - which begins Oct. 1.
Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, says she hopes Congress will block the cuts.
Established in 1966, the Sea Grant program follows the model of the land grant system in which university scientists helped farmers produce more food.
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Information from: The Westerly Sun, https://www.thewesterlysun.com
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