Jason Witham became the first person in Maine to replace the engine in his lobster boat with help from a government grant.
Witham, a lifelong lobsterman, moors his boat in Tenants Harbor and fishes the waters off Big Green Island in his 40-foot Young Brothers boat Siren.
According to the Maine.gov Web site, the program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The clean engine program will provide $1.7 million to support diesel emission reduction activities.
