SMPDC has joined forces with Resilience Communities LLC, Greater Portland Council of Governments, and Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission to help Maine communities participate in the state's Community Resilience Partnership and take action on climate change. Recommended by Maine's four-year climate action plan, Maine Won't Wait, the Partnership offers communities support for both climate mitigation and adaptation activities. It is administered by the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future.

The Region 1 Coordinator Collaborative (R1CC) will provide direct assistance to communities in York, Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, and Sagadahoc counties. We will work collaboratively to:

The Climate Ready Coast - Southern Maine regional coastal vulnerability assessment is now underway. The assessment will generate valuable information about the impacts of coastal hazards, including sea level rise and erosion, on people, infrastructure, and natural resources in southern Maine. The project team is thrilled to be working with GEI Consultants to conduct the regional geospatial assessment. Over the past several months, the team has been developing an assessment framework that will support the identification of highly vulnerable priority areas within the region and inform targeted adaptation and resilience strategies.

Have you checked out the project website yet? The site includes general information about the project, materials and recordings from the first Working Group workshop, resources about coastal hazards, and opportunities for the Working Group and other stakeholders to share input with the project team. Through the website's "Get Involved" page, stakeholders can voice concerns about coastal hazards in the region, share resilience ideas, identify priority vulnerable areas, and comment on what they would like to see included in the regional resilience plan.

We're excited to share that SMDPC will assist the communities of Fryeburg, Old Orchard Beach, Eliot, and Berwick to begin tackling climate change through the Community Resilience Partnership. SMPDC was awarded a Service Provider Grant by the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future to assist these communities with enrolling in the Partnership and to start identifying, prioritizing, and beginning to implement community resilience projects.

Like many communities in Maine, these four municipalities are stretched thin as they try to address climate impacts while managing the pressing every day demands of delivering municipal services. This project seeks to help alleviate those capacity needs, while also providing an opportunity for peer learning and collaboration.

There has been a flurry of activity on climate change-related legislation during the second regular session of the 130th Legislature. An overview of some legislation pertaining to coastal issues and municipal climate planning is below.