PORTLAND (WGME) — A new report is calling next year’s proposed federal EPA budget damaging to Maine’s environment.

The GOP budget from the House Appropriations Committee would scale back funding for Maine environmental regulators.

The Natural Resources Council of Maine says that would put clean air and water at risk.

Leaders with the NRCM say the cuts could affect not only Maine’s environment, but also the state’s tourism industry.

“Our waters are not clean enough to swim in,” Natural Resources Council of Maine Federal Policy Advocate Anya Fetcher said. “If our air is more polluted, then there will be less of an incentive, less of an interest in coming to Maine to enjoy all of the beauty that our state has to offer.”

Leaders say these proposed cuts would represent the most extreme rollback of environmental funding in decades.

In the meantime, a budget approved on the Senate side, where Susan Collins chairs the Appropriations Committee, would leave more EPA funding intact.