The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) has announced their Request for Proposals for 2025-2026 PREPA Grants! Funding for each project ranges from $5,000-$25,000 in scope.

The PREPA Grant Program is designed to help communities make big strides in protecting their natural resources and water quality, or in preparing for and adapting to climate change. This funding opportunity is available to any of the 52 towns in the Piscataqua Region Watershed in both Maine and New Hampshire. Applications are due March 31, 2025.

MuniGrant is a new resource offering grant services for municipalities. MuniGrant provides assistance with grant research, writing, and project administration, including a comprehensive grant database specifically tailored for municipal governments. Click the button below to visit the website and learn more.

SMPDC’s second annual York County Broadband and Digital Inclusion Forum was a success!

The event was attended by 34 coalition partners and digital inclusion advocates representing a variety of sectors working together to bridge the digital divide. Attendees participated in discussions on the intersectionality between workforce development, economic opportunity for small businesses, and digital inclusion.

A big thank you to keynote presenter Christa Thorpe of the Island Institute, who provided insights on the Institute’s work with coalition partners to advance digital inclusion in the Penobscot Bay region.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first Southern Maine Climate Action Workshop on November 13!

Sustainability leaders from around the region came together to discuss opportunities for regional collaboration on climate actions in southern Maine. Topics of discussion included implementation of energy efficiency measures, electric vehicles, open space restoration and conservation, and best practices for engaging partner organizations in climate actions. Attendees also had the opportunity to discuss best practices and recommendations for Climate Action Planning. 

Special thanks to the University of New England for partnering with SMPDC to coordinate the event, and to keynote speaker Susanne Moser, Ph.D.!

Join us in congratulating our former Executive Director Paul Schumacher on receiving the Planner Emeritus Award at the annual Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) conference in Stowe, Vermont. The Planner Emeritus award celebrates and recognizes those who have dedicated 30 or more years of service to the planning profession and to the communities, organizations, and people they have served. Congratulations, Paul! 

This month SMPDC is wrapping up the USDA Energy Audit program, which began in March 2021 and provided a total of $80,000 in energy audit subsidies to 18 businesses across Maine! The program was funded by a US Dept. of Agriculture Rural Energy for America (REAP) Energy Audit grant.

One business who received a subsidized energy audit through the program was T&D Wood Energy LLC in Sanford. They received a $190,700 REAP grant to purchase a safer and more energy efficient grinding system. The new system will significantly reduce emissions from portable engines on-site. Another business, Grandy Organics in Hiram, received an SMPDC subsidized energy audit to apply for a REAP grant, which they were awarded. They received a $171,219 grant to help install an energy-efficient HVAC system, stoves, and dishwasher at their facility.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the program!