Case: State of Maine v. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

1:25-cv-00324 | U.S. District Court for the District of Maine

Filed Date: June 17, 2025

Case Ongoing

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Case Summary

This case challenged the Trump Administration’s termination of a $9 million federal grant awarded to the state of Maine for a project to restore tidal salt marsh habitat and protect coastal infrastructure from flooding. The administration provided no explanation for the termination of the grant; plaintiffs alleged it was in retaliation against Maine’s policies protecting the civil rights of transgender people. NOAA only terminated funding for this project, not for any other similar grants; additionally, even after its termination of Maine’s grant, NOAA continued to advertise that federal funding was available for like projects. Plaintiffs alleged the Trump Administration’s termination of the grant violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the Separation of Powers, the Take Care Clause, the Appropriations Clause, and the Tenth Amendment.

On June 17, 2025, the state of Maine and the Maine Department of Natural Resources filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Maine. The lawsuit named the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its Administrator, as well as the U.S. Department of Commerce and its Secretary, as defendants. Plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief and attorneys’ fees. The case was assigned to Judge Nancy Torresen.

This case is ongoing.

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Summary Authors

Matt Petrillo (6/23/2025)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70574375/parties/state-of-maine-v-national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration/

Judge(s)

Torresen, Nancy (Maine)

Attorney for Plaintiff

ANTON, JASON (Maine)

DAFOE, JACK (Maine)

Judge(s)

Torresen, Nancy (Maine)

Attorney for Plaintiff

ANTON, JASON (Maine)

DAFOE, JACK (Maine)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

	Document
1 1:25-cv-00324	Complaint Maine v. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	June 17, 2025	June 17, 2025 Complaint

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Resources

Title	Description		External URL Date / External URL
Black Farmers FAQ: The history of discrimination against Black farmers and policy initiatives to remedy these inequities. Legal Defense Fund	Black farmers have long faced systemic discrimination by public and private institutions and barriers to economic mobility. Inequities in the administration of government farm programs and discrimina…		https://www.naacpldf.org/...

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70574375/state-of-maine-v-national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration/

Last updated Aug. 21, 2025, 1:51 p.m.

ECF Number	Description	Date	Link Date / Link
1	COMPLAINT against LAURA GRIMM, HOWARD LUTNICK, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PAYMENT OF FILING FEE DUE WITHIN 48 HOURS. IF FILING FEE IS BEING PAID WITH A CREDIT CARD COUNSEL ARE INSTRUCTED TO LOGIN TO CMECF AND DOCKET Case Opening Filing Fee Paid FOUND IN THE Complaints and Other Initiating Documents CATEGORY. CHECK PAYMENTS DUE WITHIN 48 HOURS., filed by STATE OF MAINE, MAINE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES. (Service of Process Deadline 9/15/2025) Fee due by 6/23/2025. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A: Grant Termination Letter, # 2 Exhibit B: Notice of Funding Opportunity, # 3 Exhibit C: Updated Narrative and Summary for DMR Grant Application, # 4 Exhibit D: Notice of Award, # 5 Exhibit E: Secretary Rollins Letter to Governor Mills, # 6 Exhibit F: SOM v. USDA Settlement Agreement, # 7 Exhibit G: Notice of Award with Termination Endorsement, # 8 Exhibit H: NOAA Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants Funding Notice, # 9 Exhibit I: Letter to Senator Collins)(lcb) (Entered: 06/18/2025) 1 Exhibit A: Grant Termination Letter View on RECAP 2 Exhibit B: Notice of Funding Opportunity View on PACER 3 Exhibit C: Updated Narrative and Summary for DMR Grant Application View on PACER 4 Exhibit D: Notice of Award View on PACER 5 Exhibit E: Secretary Rollins Letter to Governor Mills View on RECAP 6 Exhibit F: SOM v. USDA Settlement Agreement View on PACER 7 Exhibit G: Notice of Award with Termination Endorsement View on PACER 8 Exhibit H: NOAA Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants Funding Notic View on PACER 9 Exhibit I: Letter to Senator Collins View on RECAP	June 17, 2025	June 17, 2025 RECAP
2	CIVIL COVER SHEET. (lcb) (Entered: 06/18/2025)	June 17, 2025	June 17, 2025 PACER
3	Summons Issued as to LAURA GRIMM, HOWARD LUTNICK, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. Counsel shall print the embossed summons and effect service in the manner in accordance with Fed.R.Civ.P.4. Note-If you are using Version 6 of Adobe Acrobat, be sure the PRINT WHAT field is set to DOCUMENTS AND COMMENTS (Click File, then Print to check this setting). (Attachments: # 1 Summons for Laura Grimm, # 2 Summons for U.S. Department of Commerce, # 3 Summons for Howard Lutnick)(lcb) (Entered: 06/18/2025)	June 18, 2025	June 18, 2025 PACER
4	NOTICE of Appearance by JASON ANTON on behalf of STATE OF MAINE, MAINE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES (ANTON, JASON) (Entered: 06/18/2025)	June 18, 2025	June 18, 2025 PACER
	Filing Fee Received: Amount Paid: $405. Receipt Number: 3127371. Method of Payment: Credit Card. Purpose of Payment: Case Filing Fee. Date Paid: 6/18/2025 (slg)	June 24, 2025	June 24, 2025 PACER
	Order on Motion for Extension of Time to Answer	Aug. 15, 2025	Aug. 15, 2025 PACER