$25M in federal funds headed to Blue Hill Peninsula and Deer Isle
Funds for Bucksport’s Main Street, Maine Maritime Academy and the Deer Isle causeway are among the list of local projects announced by Sen. Susan Collins
Feb. 10, 2026
By Emily Baer
Sen. Susan Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Commitee. Photo courtesy of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has announced having secured over $425 million for Maine projects in fiscal year 2026 for Maine. The tally includes more than $25 million for projects on the Blue Hill Peninsula and Deer Isle.
The Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) includes five local projects: two in Bucksport, two in Castine, and one in Deer Isle. Below is a breakdown of the funds.
Bucksport
Maine Department of Transportation–$7,200,000 to complete Main Street safety improvements and rehabilitate State Route 15 in Bucksport.
Bucksport Regional Health Center–$1,980,000 to support the dental services program through facilities and equipment improvements to expand dental services.
Castine
Maine Maritime Academy–$1,170,000 for the academy’s small vessel program to support workforce development through training.
Maine Maritime Academy–$2,800,000 for the purchase of equipment for a simulation laboratory aboard the State of Maine training vessel.
Deer Isle
Maine Department of Transportation–$12,000,000 for improvements to the Route 15 causeway. The project will improve the causeway between the mainland and Deer Isle.
CDS funding is available only to state or local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, and is a provision in federal appropriations legislation that may be included at the request of a member of Congress.
In total, Collins’ secured $425,716,000 through congressionally directed spending for 156 communities across Maine in FY26. In a statement on her website, Collins said these “targeted investments will provide real and direct benefits” for Mainers.
The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committee in the U.S. Senate, consisting of 29 members in the 119th Congress. The powerful committee essentially directs how federal funds are spent. Collins is the first Republican woman to chair the committee.
