February 2024 Program Newsletter | |
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On January 30th, Governor Janet Mills’ announced in her 'State of the State' address that she intends to dedicate $50 million to increasing coastal resiliency. This was a welcome announcement in direct response to the devastating storms in January, which caused widespread destruction, especially to important coastal infrastructure like commercial fishing piers.
On January 10, the storm of intense rain, wind, and snow hit the coast and delivered at the same time the third-highest tide ever recorded in Portland. On January 13, as towns were still assessing the damage from the previous storm, an even higher tide, accompanied by wind and rain, hit the coast. These two storms provided the highest and fourth highest water levels ever recorded in Portland. On January 10, the water recorded at 13.84 feet, and on January 13 it was 14.57 feet.
The damage from these storms is so severe that the Maine Emergency Management Agency has requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency conduct a preliminary damage assessment, an initial step towards a Major Disaster Declaration. Meanwhile, communities are still working to create recovery plans and rebuild the infrastructure that was damaged.
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Kaya Williams is our new Resilience Corps Fellow, working on the Energy Navigators pilot. Kaya grew up in Buxton, Maine on an alpaca farm but now calls Portland home. She attended Colby College, where she earned a bachelor's in environmental policy. After graduation, she worked in the environmental education sector, first at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute as a LabVenture educator and then teaching seventh-grade science at Waynflete School.
She is working towards her Master’s in Environmental and Climate Policy from Vermont Law and Graduate School. As a Resilience Corps Fellow, she’s excited to help implement the Energy Navigators program and support community members to increase their homes' energy efficiency!
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Kennebunkport: The town is partnering with The Climate Initiative to host Community Conversation events focused on addressing sea level rise in Lower Village and Dock Square. The next event is on March 20th at Atlantic Hall, 173 Main St. Kennebunkport.
Ogunquit: The Town recently completed installation of two Level 2 EV charging stations in Obed’s Parking Lot. The Town received an Efficiency Maine award for 90% of the final project costs.
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Kittery: The Town is focusing their Winter/Spring Community Read Program on Climate Action and Sustainability. Traip Academy Storm Chasers have been documenting the impacts of sea level rise in Kittery using community science.
Wells: The Drakes Island Road Bridge Replacement project is nearing final design.
Kennebunk: The Go Kennebunks, Sanford and Biddeford bus line and its new Workforce Transportation Program is underway. Kennebunk's Climate Action Plan task force will be hosting a public open house for their CAP strategies on March 16th at 10 am at Town Hall. For more information, visit the town website.
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York River Watershed land conserved | |
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In January, a 47.5 acre parcel of ecologically valuable land was bought through a joint effort by the York Land Trust, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and US Fish and Wildlife. The section of land, along the northern portion of the York River is significant as it not only serves as an important habitat but provides buffering during storm surges. It is also one of the fifteen priority sites designated by the Climate Ready Coast resilience plan.
This newly conserved land comes after the designation of the York River as “wild and scenic” in 2022. This designation allows for the community to tap into funding from the Park Service to provide outreach and maintenance of the river. To learn more about this project, visit the York Land Trust.
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Climate Action Plan Toolkit Now Live | |
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Throughout the process of drafting Climate Action Plans for the towns of Biddeford, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Kittery, and Saco, SMPDC has created a list of guidance materials to help other towns and committees engaged in Climate Action Planning.
These resources include template materials, examples of public engagement materials, climate action strategy examples, and examples of completed Climate Action Plans.
These resources, along with instructions on how to use them, are now live on the SMPDC CAP Resource Materials page.
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Maine Grid Resilience Grant Program - On February 28th from 12 – 1pm the Governor’s Energy Office will hold a meeting to provide information on the Maine Grid Resilience Grant Program. In early February they held a public hearing on the program, and the slides from that hearing can be reviewed here. Registration for the meeting is not required. The meeting link can be accessed here.
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GOPIF Federal Infrastructure Law Webinar Series - Throughout January and February the state has hosted several webinars highlighting potential funding and program opportunities through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. The slides and recordings from the webinars on transportation, broadband & technology, and energy programs & building efficiency can be accessed here. On February 29 from 12 – 1pm they will host the final webinar on resilience and environmental protection which will discuss storm preparedness, transportation resilience, mitigation of pollution and contaminants and how to improve watersheds and ecosystems. Register here.
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Community Engagement and Equity - On February 2, the Community Resilience Partnership hosted a webinar on Community Engagement and Equity. The webinar gave insight into the equity framework developed by the Maine Climate Council (MCC)’s Equity Subcommittee, as well as the Maine Social Vulnerability Index. The recording of the webinar can be found here.
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Storm Recovery and Resources - On January 16, the Island Institute hosted a webinar discussing storm recovery and resources. They discussed the process and timeline for applying for federal funding, as well as outlining existing recovery resources. After the webinar, The Island Institute created a frequently asked questions page, based upon common questions. The recording of the webinar can be found here.
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State Flood Resource Hub - The state’s Maine Flood Resources and Assistance Hub has various resources to support businesses and individuals mitigate the impacts of storms from December and January. They have also compiled a list of resources to assist in the recovery of working waterfronts. Federal assistance for January storms is currently being evaluated, but the website will be updated once that information is available.
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Resilience
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York River Watershed Grants Program - The York River Stewardship Committee is excited to issue a Request for Proposals and application for its new York River Watershed Grants Program. This program, funded by the National Park Service Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program, aims to support projects that implement the York River Watershed Stewardship Plan to protect or enhance watershed resources. Applications are due by April 30, 2024. View the RFP and application form here.
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EPA Community Change Grants - EPA's Community Change Grants Program has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for approximately $2 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funds in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. Applications are due by November 21, 2024. Learn more here.
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ME Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry: Coastal Community Grants - The DACF is seeking applications for the FY2025 Coastal Community Grant program. This program, funded by the Maine Coastal Program's annual grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is open to counties, municipalities, unorganized territories, tribal governments, and Regional Councils in Maine's Coastal Zone. This program seeks to fund projects that support the 'Maine Won't Wait' state Climate Action Plan and enable communities to become more resilient to unprecedented coastal storm impacts. Maximum award amount is $50,000, and Letters of Intent are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, March 29, 2024. Learn more here.
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Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission | Website
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