Waterford - John Johnson's keeping his powder dry.

Johnson, the OpSail Connecticut chairman whose organization stands to lose state funding for this fall's Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival in New London, expects to travel next week to Hartford to lobby for the restoration of the tourism funding cut from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's two-year budget proposal.

"Been there, done this before," Johnson said Wednesday after a tourism summit at the Charter Oak Federal Credit Union on Hartford Road. The Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition and the Eastern Regional Tourism District sponsored the session.

"I'm concerned, but not overly concerned. I'm not jumping out any windows," Johnson said.

Others affected by the proposed cuts sounded resolved to fight them, as they have, sometimes with success, in the past.

OpSail Connecticut had been counting on the state to help fund the maritime festival, scheduled Sept. 9-12 as part of what the governor's office has dubbed "Connecticut's Coast Guard Summer." The festival will mark the end of a two-month celebration of the Coast Guard's 225th birthday and the Coast Guard Academy's 100 years in New London.

The state provided $100,000 for the festival last year, and OpSail was hoping for twice that amount this year.

The governor's budget plan also pared spending on statewide tourism promotion and eliminated funding for the state's regional tourism districts and numerous individual attractions and cultural programs.

"It's our responsibility to make the case (for funding) to our legislators," Johnson said. "We're confident we can do that. It's part of the process."

OpSail Connecticut had hoped to increase its overall budget for this year's maritime festival to $450,000, including $250,000 in corporate donations. If the governor's elimination of funding for the festival stands, OpSail will have to either scale back the event or ramp up its fundraising, Johnson said.

OpSail has already committed to a $20,000 appearance fee for the Oliver Hazard Perry, a Rhode Island-built training vessel.

Janice Putnam, the Eastern Regional Tourism District's marketing and sales manager, noted that the district will close by July 1 unless funding for it is reinstated. Each of the state's three regional districts is receiving nearly $500,000 in the current fiscal year.

If the district's office closes, Putnam said, further distribution of the popular Mystic Country Visitors Guide will cease. The district's database will grow stale and its social media presence will evaporate, she said.

"We'll stop responding to press inquiries - because there will be no one to answer the phone."

Randy Fiveash, the state's tourism director, indicated his office was prepared to weather a reduction in state funding.

"What the governor has done is make some tough decisions," he said. "We all have to take a look at all of our programs and see what has to be altered. ... Our mission will not change, our strategies will not change. We'll just have to do it with less money."

b.hallenbeck@theday.com

Twitter: @bjhallenbeck