SMPDC is assisting the communities of Biddeford, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Kittery with climate change planning through an innovative new project.

To help the communities develop their own unique climate action plan, SMPDC will lead a Local Climate Action Planning Cohort (Local CAP Cohort), where the communities will coordinate and work together through the planning process. SMPDC will manage the cohort and provide a planning framework, technical assistance, plan development support, and peer learning opportunities to facilitate climate action planning in the participating communities.

Each municipality has been interested in developing a climate action plan to guide their climate action efforts and build public engagement and support. However, creating a climate action plan is a large planning effort that takes significant investment in time, staff, and financial resources. The Local CAP Cohort promotes collaboration, capitalizes on information sharing, and leverages efficiencies in time and resources, thereby significantly reducing the cost the process for each community. SMPDC was also able to secure grant funding to further reduce costs, including a $100,000 Community Action Grant from the Community Resilience Partnership.

Interested in incorporating coastal resilience measures in your community's land use ordinances? Check out the new document Municipal Guidance for Coastal Resilience: Model Ordinance Language for Maine Municipalities, created to support municipal staff and planning boards integrate resilience measures into land use planning and regulations.

The resources was collaboratively developed by SMPDC, FB Environmental, and community partners from Kittery, Wells, South Portland, Vinalhaven, and Tremont.

The document provides a menu of land use provisions and resilience measures that can be incorporated into existing ordinances, such as floodplain management and shoreland zoning, or combined for a standalone coastal resilience ordinance. The document was designed to allow communities to select resilience-based land use approaches that address local conditions, hazards, and needs. It provides specific yet customizable ordinance language and highlights key considerations for communities to enhance their coastal resilience.

The guidance document and a fact sheet are available on SMPDC's website here.

SMPDC recently completed an EDA-funded regional planning study that assessed local and regional economic vulnerabilities from coastal storms and future sea level rise; evaluated impacts to municipal fiscal health, infrastructure, businesses, and socially vulnerable populations; and developed recommendations to enhance coastal and economic resilience in the communities of Kittery, York, Ogunquit, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Wells. The project assessed impacts of storm surge combined with two scenarios of sea level rise, 1.6 feet and 3.0 feet, to represent what storm events could look like in the future.

SMPDC worked with town staff to complete Kennebunkport's first community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory. As Kennebunkport takes the next steps to set GHG reduction targets and develop a climate action plan, the inventory may be used to guide decisions about emissions reduction strategies.

There have been several new bills related to climate change propose during the second regular session of the 130th Legislature. An overview of some legislation pertaining to coastal issues and municipal climate planning is below.