Appendices

• Appendix A — History of Maine Climate Actions
• Appendix B — Model Ordinance Language for Coastal Maine Municipalities
• Appendix C — Example Questions for Community Workshops
• Appendix D — Template for a Community Action Plan
• Appendix E — Sample Risk Assessment Framework and Guiding Questions
• Appendix F — Funding Guide Maine Government Sources for Resiliency
• Appendix G — Request for Input to Subsequent Editions

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Appendix A — History of Maine Climate Actions

Example Agency Actions:

• In 2009, the Climate Change and Transportation in Maine Adaptation Plan was developed to prepare Maine DOT to respond to challenges presented from the 2004 Climate Action Plan and identify solutions in response to the 2009-2010 Adaptation Plan development process. The Plan also positioned MaineDOT to receive support for its proactive approach and commitment to action. The Plan was updated in 2019.
• Since 2010, Maine CDC has used funding from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Climate and Health Program to better understand the potential impact of climate change on public health, complete climate adaptation plans for both vector-borne diseases and extreme heat and to begin implementing vector-borne disease and heat illness intervention activities. Maine CDC has applied CDC’s BRACE framework (Building Resilience Against Climate Effects) to address concerns about the increase in vector-borne diseases over the last decade and to increase public health preparedness for extreme heat events.
• The 2015 Maine State Wildlife Action Plan revision engaged over 100 conservation partners to identify Maine’s 378 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), and actions needed to prevent further species declines. Many of these actions focus on a greater understanding of and reducing impacts of climate change to SGCN and their habitats and enhancing habitat connectivity to allow for species range shifts and movement.
• The Maine Climate Hub, housed by Maine DEP was launched in 2015 and serves as a Maine-focused and centralized directory of available climate resources. Hub resources are maintained through interagency coordination. DEP additionally partners with organizations to create regional and local professional training opportunities to build capacities and strengthen partnerships to implement a broader statewide response for resilience.
• The 2018 State Hazard Mitigation Plan was the first update in Maine to describe the potential impacts of climate change on natural hazards, which will likely increase the extent of natural hazard events. MEMA intends to corroborate data with the scientific community in hopes of preparing a more climate change-focused plan in 2023. MEMA addresses the effects of climate change on existing natural hazards in the State Hazard Mitigation Plan, and coordinates and supports the development of County-wide Hazard Mitigation Plans in all sixteen counties, all of which are updated every five years. Hazard Mitigation Plans must include natural hazard risk assessments and strategies for mitigating future impacts.
• In 2019-2020, the State Historic Preservation Commission updated the Statewide Historic Preservation Plan and included a goal for resiliency and the effects of climate change for the first time.
• Within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, the Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use Planning has several complementary programs that work closely together to collect, develop, and translate scientifically sound data, and help provide the funding, technical tools, and support needed for municipalities, land managers, landowners, conservation planners, government agencies, and others in Maine to better understand and integrate climate science and resiliency into their decision making.

Additional information can be found on the Maine Climate Hub here:

• Climate/GHG Mitigation (Maine.gov, Maine DEP)
• Adaptation/Preparedness/Hazard Mitigation (Maine.gov, Maine DEP)

Additional information on climate science, and U.S. and international climate policy is maintained in A Climate Chronology by faculty at the University of Maine. More information on the A Climate Chronology website.

Appendix B — Model Ordinance Language for Coastal Maine Municipalities

Municipal Guidance for Coastal Resilience was created through a Maine Coastal Community Grant in partnership with Vinalhaven, South Portland, Tremont, Wells, and Kittery, Maine, and prepared by the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission and FB Environmental Consultants. The guidance document outlines opportunities for incorporating coastal resilience measures in existing municipal land use ordinances by offering technical language for provisions, as well as considerations regarding those provisions, and examples of that work being done elsewhere in the U.S. The table below presents summaries of provisions and language related to coastal resilience, organized according to the existing municipal ordinance(s) that are most applicable to the proposed provision/language, lists associated coastal hazards, and identifies topics of provisions/language. The table also includes color coding based on which existing municipal ordinance(s) the proposed provision/language best applies. There is additional, important information and context that is not included in the table but is available in the full report.

We added this table to this version of the workbook, to demonstrate the relevance of this information for our key audience; however, the content is evolving with the legislative review on sea level rise and other climate measures. SMPDC completed the project and publication of content on April 22, 2022. The project report can be referenced in the Municipal Guidance for Coastal Resilience Model Ordinance Language for Maine Municipalities (SMPDC) (PDF).

Color Key for Table:

—	Floodplain Management (light blue)
	Shoreland Zoning (light lime green)
	Subdivision/Site Plan Review (SPR) (light orange)
	Stormwater Management (light green)
	Zoning (light red)
	Wetlands Ordinance (light yellow)

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Appendix C — Example Questions for Community Workshops

As mentioned in Section 4.9, the following questions may be used by facilitators in community planning:

1. What have you identified as a high priority for your community’s coastal hazards? From some preliminary conversations, we have gathered that the focus is currently on sea level rise. Is storm surge, and other coastal flood-related hazards such as erosion, extreme precipitation, (rain, snow, or ice), and wind also on your priority list?

• Prompt/Follow-up: If the interviewee does not mention a hazard that you have identified (e.g. saltwater intrusion), probe about this hazard

2. What have you done thus far to address your concerns regarding coastal hazards?

• Prompt/Follow up: Having reviewed information that has been collected to date – and then explore if the projects are not identified initially.
• Prompt/Follow-up: What technical assistance have you received so far? Who provided this? Why was it helpful?
• Prompt/Follow-up: Have you collaborated with other communities in your region?

3. Participants (focus question on who has been participating in planning processes). Who have you worked with or spoken with so far? What role did they play?

• Prompt/Follow-up: based upon a review of town processes, ask about specific individuals if not mentioned.

4. Stakeholders or community leaders (focus question on who has been participating in planning processes) Who has been at the table with you for discussing these hazards or for any work done? What role did they play?

• Prompt/Follow-up: based upon a review of town processes, ask about specific individuals if not mentioned.
• Prompt/Follow-up: Who has not participated or been at the table and why do you think that is?

5. Future stakeholders (focus question on who has been participating in planning processes) What public engagement strategies are being planned? How might you engage the stakeholders who have not been at the table?

6. What barriers or challenges have you encountered or are perceived? What do you anticipate or want to see happen to overcome these challenges or barriers?

• Prompt/Follow-up: based upon a review of town processes, ask about specific challenges if not mentioned.

7. What do you anticipate for assistance needs? From a university? From state agencies? From regional or nonprofit organizations? What roles would be helpful for them to play?

• Prompt/Follow-up: What data needs do you have?
• Prompt/Follow-up: What specific type of technical assistance do you need?

8. What do you envision for a process going forward for addressing coastal hazards in your community? What do you expect your timeline might be? What are your immediate priorities? What do you see as longer-term priorities and why?

• Prompt/Follow-up: What type of technical assistance would you need to achieve these goals?
• Prompt/Follow-up: We are planning regional meetings over the next year. Would you be willing to participate? Are there others we should invite to participate? What would you most hope to gain from participating?

Appendix D — Template for a Community Action Plan

Example template from Maine’s Climate Action Plan, Maine Won’t Wait, adopted December 1, 2020.

Maine Won’t Wait (Maine.gov PDF), (HTML5 Flipbook, onlinefliphtml5.com) (Maine.gov Executive Summary PDF) contains eight strategies with dozens of recommendations for implementation. Within the entirety of the Plan, there are a total of 67 recommendations across the eight overarching strategies. The strategies within the Climate Action Plan can also serve a dual purpose for communities in Maine by providing areas where specific actions can be taken. These strategies are listed below and are referenced in the relevant sections below.

• Strategy A: Embrace the Future of Transportation
• Strategy B: Modernize Maine’s Buildings: Energy-Efficient, Smart, and Cost-Effective Homes and Businesses
• Strategy C: Reduce Carbon Emissions in Maine’s Energy and Industrial Sectors through Clean-Energy Innovation
• Strategy D: Grow Maine’s Clean Energy Economy and Protect Our Natural Resource Industries
• Strategy E: Protect Maine’s Environment and Working Lands and Waters, Promote Natural Climate Solutions and Increase Carbon Sequestration
• Strategy F: Build Healthy and Resilient Communities
• Strategy G: Invest in Climate-Ready Infrastructure
• Strategy H: Engage with Maine People and Communities about Climate Impacts and Program Opportunities

Maine’s Climate Action plan is a blueprint for bold, specific, and immediate action requiring transformational changes in the way Maine produces and consumes energy and incorporates climate change impacts and principles into day-to-day decision-making. Implementing the plan will require a climate-focused recovery to the global pandemic, and a collective effort across state agencies and with individuals, businesses, organizations, and leaders in Maine. Many of the topics and actions included in this Workbook align with strategies and recommendations identified in Maine Won’t Wait. Best practices presented in this workbook represent areas where communities might inventory their own actions to identify gaps and pursue further action using the resources and experts provided.

We request a Community Climate Action Plan Template for future editions of this workbook.

Appendix E — Sample Risk Assessment Framework and Guiding Questions

Identifying where communities or assets are most vulnerable, and the extent of the risks are the most important steps in developing strategies to make a community or specific infrastructure more resilient. Answering these Vulnerability and Risk Assessment questions can help planners, asset managers, and other decision-makers understand how natural hazards could impact their community or infrastructure, and the potential consequences of vulnerabilities as a result so that resilient courses of action can be determined. A team can use these questions when beginning a project, for evaluation during a project, and/or after the project is completed to determine if objectives were met. The questions are intended to prompt thinking. They are a sample, starting list to draw from; however, there is some redundancy and collectively they may not represent all critical questions your project aims to address. A team or whole community can use these questions to guide their processes and discussions – outside expertise is often sought out to adequately address them.

Section 4 Assessment, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Community Resilience Workbook A presents the vulnerability assessment process in more detail. A common framework is available from the five-step process of the US Climate Resilience Toolkit (U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit). The “Steps to Resilience” are:

1. Explore Hazards
2. Assess Vulnerability and Risk
3. Investigate Options
4. Prioritize and Plan
5. Take Action

Conducting an assessment often begins with determining vision and objectives, followed by understanding natural hazards risks, and vulnerabilities they present, and then determining options to achieve desired outcomes. This can be done through various meetings, and workshops, and often involves consulting with or inviting outside experts to speak to technical information, topics of interest, or where knowledge or information gaps arise in the process. A common practice for engagement is the use of participatory mapping where those involved can visually identify and discuss vulnerable locations and services on a map of their community or project area and think holistically about planning and actions.

Sample Risk Assessment Questions

Natural Hazards

• What natural hazards are potential risks to your community or infrastructure?
• What is already known from historical information about these natural hazards and the impacts they have caused on your community or infrastructure?
• What is projected for these natural hazards with climate change in the future that corresponds to your community vision or infrastructure timespans?
• What scenarios create the worst-case events for use in your analysis?
• What data sources or community insights were used in your analysis?
• Did you consult with national, regional, and local experts for the best available information?

Hazard Mitigation

• What geographic areas and populations are likely to be affected in the future due to climate change, and how do these impacts differ from the present?
• What are the specific impacts of climate change on the geographical area and populations of interest, and how long into the future are those impacts expected to occur?
• What infrastructure is the most important to ensuring the safety of the town and its residents (e.g., hospitals, evacuation routes, etc.)?
• What built and natural infrastructure can be constructed, improved, or preserved to reduce the impacts of climate change?
• What built and natural infrastructure should be prioritized in terms of making a community more resilient to climate change?

Community Engagement, Outreach, and Adaptive Capacity

• What does your community most care about?
• What does the community envision for its future?
• Who in this community is on the frontlines of climate change and what are they already doing to build resilience?
• What knowledge do community members have about climate change impacts here? What do community members need to know to make informed decisions about adaptation?
• How can educational materials share scientific information and multiple forms of knowledge about climate change? How can this information be designed to accommodate multiple languages, abilities, and perspectives?
• How can this project create opportunities for learning, relationship building, and networking?
• How can intentional approaches to learning, relationship building, and networking help this community change governance structures, like comprehensive plans, ordinances, and budget priorities? What do community members need to know and who needs to be involved to make governance decisions and changes?
• What do community members identify as priority improvements in local governance? What would it take to enact these changes to governance?

Whole Community Resilience

• Who in this community is most vulnerable and what are the specific risks to these groups?
• Who is or who will be most affected by changes in our community? How are those groups responding to these changes?
• Will some people be more affected by changes than others, and what helps explain the differences in who will be affected? Consider differences in race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, income and socioeconomic status, ability, and age.
• How can affected communities participate in projects to ensure their voices and concerns are represented?
• Who else in this community is already working with affected groups and how can service providers and affected parties become involved?
• How can projects use a bottom-up and inclusive approach to designing and implementing a project?

Socioeconomic and Cultural Consideration

• What are the cultural, social, economic, recreational, and environmental co-benefits that could occur by adapting to climate change in specific ways?
• What and where are the cultural sites that need to be protected from the impacts of climate change? Who needs to be involved in decisions about cultural and historic preservation?
• How is climate change affecting community well-being? How can climate adaptation projects improve community well-being?

Implementing a Plan, Continuous Assessment, and Budgets

• What outcomes matter in this community and how will progress towards these outcomes and eventual success be measured? How can these data be used to inform the project as it evolves?
• Does the plan provide clear, well-defined, flexible, and timely strategies for implementation?
• Does the plan have a timeline for when actions need to be completed to ensure project goals are achieved?
• Are specific stakeholders assigned the responsibility for implementing and monitoring each action?
• Do all actions have well-defined cost estimates and corresponding funding sources?

Appendix F — Funding Guide Maine Government Sources for Resiliency

April 5, 2023

Plan ahead and schedule your work with the timing of these grant and loan programs. Combine complementary grants to address your needs.

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Land and Water Conservation Fund (Maine.gov, Maine DACF)

Grants and Community Recreation Bureau of Parks and Lands
124 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333
207.624.6090

Douglas Beck, Outdoor Recreation Supervisor, Doug.Beck@maine.gov

• Department: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Community and non-profit non-community public water systems
• When Available: Ongoing. Deadline – annually in November
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Protection of a drinking-water system’s source of drinking water
  • Eligible activities: Projects that demonstrate a commitment to the ongoing protection of a system’s drinking water source, e.g.,
    • Developing or updating watershed management plans
    • Establishing local protective ordinances or legal agreements in the source protection area
    • Developing or implementing drinking water education and public outreach programs Developing and/or implementing lake monitoring programs.

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Maine Coastal Community Grants: News (Maine.gov, Maine DACF)

Municipal Planning Assistance Program
22 SHS/Harlow Building, Augusta, Maine 04333-0022

Joan Walton, joan.walton@maine.gov, 207.419.8661
Tom Miragliuolo, tom.miragliuolo@maine.gov, 207.287.3860

• Department: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Coastal municipalities, coastal unorganized township, groups of coastal municipalities, townships and coastal Regional Planning Organizations
• When Available: Ongoing. Typically, applications open in Spring. Subject to available funding.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Improve water quality, conserve coastal habitat, promote sustainable development, enhance the coastal-dependent economy while preserving natural coastal resources, and increase resilience/adaptation to erosion and flooding.
  • Fundable Activities: Vulnerability assessments, adaptation planning, community education, and strategy development).
  • Please note: Each project involves regional or local-level partnerships, and each grantee provides a minimum of 25% in matching funds or services. An updated comprehensive plan is required.

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Catalyst Program (Northern Border Regional Commission, NBRC)

Charlotte Mace, Program Manager, Northern Border Regional Commission
Maine Department of Economic and Community Development,
207.624.7448, charlotte.mace@maine.gov

• Department:
  • Economic and Community Development
  • Northern Border Regional Commission
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? State; county; municipal; Tribal nations; public and non-profit organizations. Eligible counties: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington.
• When Available: Ongoing.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose:
    • Revitalize and modernize essential infrastructure
    • Increase access, affordability, and use of high-speed telecommunications
    • Stabilize and reduce electric and thermal energy costs
    • Retain, expand, and diversify business enterprise that capitalizes on the region’s natural, cultural, and economic assets
    • Position the Northern Border region counties as an attractive and supportive place for creative and entrepreneurial people
    • Support and expand a highly productive workforce with skills suited to existing and future business needs
    • Foster entrepreneurial leadership and capacity for community economic development
    • Inform and align local, state, and regional economic development decision-making with regional data and perspectives.
  • Eligible activities: Comprehensive economic and infrastructure development plans done in collaboration with local development districts, local governments, higher-education centers, and the general public.

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Brownfields Assessment and Revolving Loan Fund (BRLF) (Maine.gov, Office of Business Development)

• Department:
  • Environmental Protection
  • Economic and Community Development
• Grant or Loan? Grants and Loans
• Who’s Eligible?
  • For grants: Municipalities and qualifying non-profits
  • For loans: Any qualifying entity (public or private)
• When Available: Ongoing as funds are available.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Encourage redevelopment of properties that are complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants.
  • Eligible activities: Investigations and remediation where necessary to allow for productive reuse of brownfield sites.

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Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) (Maine.gov, Department of Environmental Protection)

Brandy Piers, Engineering Services Manager
Division of Water Quality Management
17 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0017
207.287.6093, brandy.m.piers@maine.gov

Maine Municipal Bond Bank
P.O. Box 2268, 127 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330
800.821.1113 (toll-free) or 207.622.9386

• Department:
  • Environmental Protection
  • Maine Municipal Bond Bank
• Grant or Loan? Loan
• Who’s Eligible? All publicly owned wastewater treatment facilities
• When Available:
  • Applications are accepted continuously during the year.
  • The Municipal Bond Bank issues bonds once in the spring and once in the fall.
  • The bond bank’s website specifies deadlines for the funding cycles.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: provide municipalities, school systems, water and sewer districts, and other governmental entities access to low-cost funds through the sale of the bond bank’s tax-exempt bonds.
  • Eligible activities: Examples of eligible projects include but are not limited to:
    • secondary and advanced treatment facilities
    • infiltration and inflow correction
    • interceptors
    • pumping stations
    • force mains
    • combined sewer overflow abatement
    • certain sewer extensions in designated areas and areas of failing septic systems.

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Maine Natural Resources Conservation Program:
Maine In Lieu Fee Compensation Program (ILF) and Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) (Maine.gov, Maine DEP)

Dawn Hallowell, Maine DEP, dawn.hallowell@maine.gov

• Department:
  • Environmental Protection
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • The Nature Conservancy
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Public agencies, non-profit conservation organizations, municipalities, and Tribal nations
• When Available: Ongoing
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Restore and protect high-priority aquatic resources.
  • Eligible: Projects that encompass:
    • removal of fill or structures from wetlands and streams
    • salt-marsh restoration
    • preservation of high-quality wetlands and associated upland buffers
    • aquatic habitat restoration and enhancement, e.g., through the removal of small dams or undersized culverts

Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program funding rounds are announced in June. A joint federal and state committee makes funding decisions in the fall.

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Municipal Stream Crossing Upgrade Grant Program (Maine.gov, Maine DEP)

John Maclaine, Maine DEP, john.maclaine@maine.gov, 207.615.3279

• Department: Environmental Protection
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Local governments, municipal conservation commissions, soil and water conservation districts and private non-profit organizations
• When Available: Annual
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Improve public safety, minimize impacts to water quality and improve habitat for fish and wildlife.
  • Eligible activities: Projects that achieve improvements, modifications, repairs or upgrades to existing stream crossing culverts.

Projects must be located on a municipal road to be eligible. Private Landowners and state and federal agencies are not eligible recipients.

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Small Community Grant Program (SCGP) (Maine.gov, Maine DEP)

Brandy Piers, Engineering Services Manager, brandy.m.piers@maine.gov, 207.287.6093
Division of Water Quality Management
17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0017

• Department: Environmental Protection
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Municipalities
• When Available: Annual, winter application
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Enable municipalities to help replace malfunctioning septic systems that are polluting a waterbody or causing a public nuisance.
  • Eligible activities: Replace systems that are: (1) contaminating a public drinking water supply, (2) polluting a shellfishing area, (3) discharging into a body of water, or (4) creating a public nuisance condition.

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Waste Diversion: Solid Waste Diversion Grant Program (Maine.gov, Maine DEP)

Mark King, mark.a.king@maine.gov, 207.592.0455

• Department: Environmental Protection
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Municipalities, regional associations, counties and Maine businesses
• When Available: Spring and Fall announcements
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose:
    • Increase organics management and recycling infrastructure in underserved areas of the state.
    • Reduce waste through reuse, repair, and sharing-economy initiatives.
    • Expand the types of materials managed through composting and recycling.
  • Eligible activities:
    Examples:
    • Establishment of regional composting facilities
    • Expansion of municipal reuse programs
    • Recycling polyvinyl chloride fencing and siding.

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Wastewater Climate Adaptation Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (Maine.gov, Maine DEP)

Brandy Piers, Engineering Services Manager, brandy.m.piers@maine.gov, 207.287.6093
Division of Water Quality Management
17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0017

• Department: Environmental Protection
• Grant or Loan? Principal-forgiveness loans
• Who’s Eligible? Municipalities, Wastewater Districts, Quasi-Municipalities
• When Available: Temporary incentive offered annually pending federal allotment for “green” projects.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Assess adequacy of wastewater systems
  • Eligible activities: Develop climate action plans and fiscal sustainability plans.

Through Maine’s State’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Maine DEP has made available up to $20,000 per project in loan-principal forgiveness for wastewater utilities to assess their systems and develop climate adaptation plans for them.

Additionally, through loan principal forgiveness, up to $50,000 per project is available for wastewater utilities to create fiscal sustainability plans.

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Invasive Aquatic Plant Removal (Maine.gov, Maine DEP)

Karen Hahnel, Karen.A.Hahnel@maine.gov, 207.215.9270

• Department:
  • Environmental Protection
  • Lakes Environmental Association
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Municipal and county governments, quasi- municipal organizations (including water districts) and 501(c)(3)-eligible organizations
• When Available: As announced
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose:
    • Plan and manage the removal of known invasive aquatic plant infestations.
    • Reduce the likelihood of invasive aquatic plants spreading to other waters.
    • Limit the impact on natural habitats and on human use of water bodies.
    • Maintain property values in lake-water areas.
  • Eligible activities: Support lake organizations that are removing infestations of invasive aquatic plants.

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Local Source Water Protection Grant Program (Maine.gov, Maine Department of Health and Human Services) (PDF)

Ashley Hodge, Ashley.hodge@maine.gov, 207.822.2341

• Department: Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Municipalities, water districts, water utilities, community and non-profit, non-community public water systems
• When Available: Ongoing
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: sustain and protect publicly available drinking water
  • Eligible activities: public water system projects that, among other objectives, seek to bolster resilience to drought and flooding through infrastructure upgrades.

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Drinking Water Capacity Development Grants
Capacity Development (Maine.gov, Division of Environmental and Community Health)

Sarah Flanagan, sara.m.flanagan@maine.gov

• Department: Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Community, non-profit, and noncommunity public water systems
• When Available: Ongoing
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: sustain and protect publicly available drinking water
  • Eligible activities: public water system projects that, among other objectives, seek to bolster resilience to drought and flooding through infrastructure upgrades.

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Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loans (DWSRF) (Maine.gov, Division of Environmental and Community Health)

• Nate Saunders, nathan.saunders@maine.gov, 207.287.5685
• William Dawson, William.Dawson@maine.gov, 207.287.6196
• Department: Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Grant or Loan? Loan
• Who’s Eligible? Public water systems
• When Available: —
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: bolster resilience to drought and flooding through infrastructure upgrades funded by low-interest loans for capital improvement
  • Eligible activities: Public water system capital improvements

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Land Acquisition Loans Fact Sheet (Maine.gov, Maine DHHS) (PDF)

Ashley Hodge, Ashley.hodge@maine.gov, 207.822.2341

• Department: Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Grant or Loan? Loan
• Who’s Eligible? Community water systems, both privately and publicly owned, and non-profit non-community water systems
• When Available: Ongoing. No deadline for Land Acquisition Loan applications. Whenever there are land and/or conservation easements available for purchase, a water system may apply for a loan.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: protect drinking water supplies through ownership, easements, or other legal control of the land around a drinking water source.
  • Eligible activities: purchase of land and/or conservation easement that protect sources of drinking water.

Land Acquisition Loans are administered by the Maine CDC’s Drinking Water Program and serviced through the Municipal Bond Bank.

There is no project limit, and funding amount is based on available funds at the time of loan application.

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Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund (Maine.gov, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)

Bethany Atkins, Bethany.Atkins@maine.gov, 207.287.5878

• Department: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Qualified sponsoring agencies
• When Available: Semiannual
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Conserve wildlife and open spaces.
  • Eligible activities: Projects that promote:
    • conservation of Maine’s fish and wildlife habitat
    • acquisition and management of special places
    • protect endangered species
    • conservation law enforcement

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Federal Emergency Management Agency Community Disaster Loan Program

• Department: Maine Emergency Management Agency
• Grant or Loan? Loan
• Who’s Eligible? Municipalities
• When Available: Ongoing. Upon declaration of a major disaster, one may apply for assistance through the Governor’s authorized representative.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Offset the loss of local tax revenues or other revenues as a result of a major disaster
  • Fundable activities: Maintenance of local governmental functions such as police and fire protection, or water and sewer services.
  • Please note: Loans are not to exceed 25% of the local government’s annual operating budget for the fiscal year in which the major disaster occurs, up to a maximum of $5 million.

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Project Canopy Planning and Planting Grant Applications (Maine.gov)

Questions? Call the Maine Forest Service at 207.287.2791 or the Project Canopy office at 207.287.4987.

• Department: Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Municipalities
• When Available: Annual. Applications are due in March and require participants in a grant workshop typically in February.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Project supports sustainable community forestry management, increases awareness of the benefits of trees and forests, and increases the health and livability of communities through sound tree planting and maintenance.

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Flood Mitigation Assistance Grants (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

Maine Emergency Management Agency
72 State House Station, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta, ME 04333
800.452.8735 (toll-free)

• Department: Maine Emergency Management Agency
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Local communities that sponsor applications on behalf of property owners.
• When Available: Annual.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Reduce or eliminate claims under the National Flood Insurance Program.
  • Eligible activities: Projects and planning that reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program.

This program is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Local communities sponsor applications on behalf of property owners and then submit the applications to the state. All grant applications must be submitted to FEMA by a state, U.S. territory, or federally recognized tribal nation.

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Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (Maine Emergency Management Agency)

Maine Emergency Management Agency
72 State House Station, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta, ME 04333
800.452.8735 (toll-free)

• Department: Maine Emergency Management Agency
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Local government, state agency, Tribe or Tribal agency, or private nonprofit.
• When Available: Available following federal declaration of a disaster in Maine or relevant counties.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose:
    • Reduce future, long-term risk from natural hazards
    • Increase resilience to natural hazard events that may have been exacerbated by climate change.
  • Eligible activities: Risk-reduction projects that have been identified in local hazard mitigation plans prior to the occurrence of a federally declared disaster.

Individuals and businesses may apply through their local government if their local government agrees to serve as the sub-applicant to the state’s application for funding.

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Volunteer Fire Assistance Program (Maine.gov, Maine DACF)

For more information, contact the VFA Program Administrator.

• Department: Maine Forest Service
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Municipality
• When Available: Annual
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: provide Federal financial, technical, and other assistance to State Foresters and other appropriate officials to organize, train and equip fire departments in rural areas and rural communities to prevent and suppress wildfires. A rural community is defined as having 10,000 or less population.

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Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program (Maine.gov, MEMA)

Maine Emergency Management Agency
72 State House Station, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta, ME 04333
800.452.8735 (toll-free)

• Department: Maine Emergency Management Agency
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? States, territories, federally recognized Tribes and local governments are eligible to serve as sub-applicants for pre-disaster mitigation grants.
• When Available: Annual
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose:
    • Reduce overall risk to the population and structures from future hazard events
    • Reduce reliance on federal funding in future disasters.
  • Eligible activities:
    Planning and project grants that:
    • break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage
    • raise public awareness about reducing future losses before disaster strikes.

Applicants must be participating in a county hazard mitigation plan approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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Guidance for Severe Repetitive Loss Properties (FEMA) (PDF)

Maine Emergency Management Agency
72 State House Station, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta, ME 04333
800.452.8735 (toll-free, in-state only) | 207.624.4400

• Department: Maine Emergency Management Agency
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? National Floodplain Insurance Program participants.
• When Available: Ongoing
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Reduce flood damages to insured properties that have had one or more claims to the National Flood Insurance Program.
  • Eligible activities:
    • Acquisition or relocation of at-risk structures and conversion of the property to open space;
    • Elevation of existing structures; or
    • Dry floodproofing of historic properties.

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Drinking Water SRF Program
Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund (DWSRF)
(Maine Municipal Bond Bank)

Maine Municipal Bond Bank
P.O. Box 2268, 127 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330
800.821.1113 (toll-free) | 207.622.9386

• Department: Maine Municipal Bond Bank
• Grant or Loan? Loan
• Who’s Eligible? All public and private water systems.
• When Available: Applications are accepted continuously during the year.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: provide municipalities, school systems, water and sewer districts, and other governmental entities access to low-cost funds through the sale of the bond bank’s tax-exempt bonds.
  • Eligible activities: Examples of eligible projects include but are not limited to:
    • public health projects
    • treatment facilities
    • aging infrastructure
    • main replacement
    • federal Safe Drinking Water Act compliance
    • land acquisition.

Although applications are accepted throughout the year, the Municipal Bond Bank issues bonds once in the spring and once in the fall. The bond bank’s website specifies deadlines for the funding cycles.

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Grants and RFPs: Coastal Access & Working Waterfronts (Maine.gov, Department of Marine Resources)

Allison Potter, allison.potter@maine.gov

• Department: Marine Resources
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible?
  • Towns and unorganized townships in Maine’s coastal zone
  • Groups of towns /townships in Maine’s coastal zone
  • Coastal Regional Planning Commissions; and coastal Councils of Government.
• When Available: Ongoing. Subject to available funding.
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose:
    • Promote sound waterfront planning and harbor management,
    • Promote balanced development of shore and harbor areas.
    • Advance planning for waterfront infrastructure improvements and access to the shore.
  • Eligible activities:
    Development of:
    • plans for waterfront, harbor and mooring areas
    • regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to waterfront conservation and improvement
    • planning studies for public and working access
    • plans and designs for harbor improvements
    • management plans for municipal waterfront facilities

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Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Program (Maine.gov, Maine Department of Transportation)

Matthew Burns, matthew.burns@maine.gov, 207.624.3409

• Department: Transportation
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Public and private entities
• When Available: Maine DOT sends out an announcement each year, typically in the summer
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose: Funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service enables Maine DOT to benefit all users in a harbor or coastal tidewater facility.
  • Eligible activities: Waterfront infrastructure projects that benefit recreational transient boats 26 feet or longer.

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Small Harbor Improvement Program (Maine.gov, Maine DOT)

Matthew Burns, matthew.burns@maine.gov, 207.624.3409

• Department: Transportation
• Grant or Loan? Grant
• Who’s Eligible? Municipalities – coastal and tidewater
• When Available: Ongoing application process
• What’s Fundable – and Why?
  • Purpose:
    • promote economic development, public access, improved commercial fishing opportunities
    • preserve, and create infrastructure at facilities in tidewater and coastal municipalities
  • Eligible activities: protection and enhancement of harbor infrastructure, including commercial and municipal pier and wharf improvements, hoists, ramps, and pilings.

The SHIP program can provide up to $250,000 in assistance towards eligible projects. The SHIP program requires a 50% local share.

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Research assistance for funding table provided by Allen Kratz, Parker Gassett and Nathan Robbins, Climate Change Adaptation Providers Network

Appendix G — Request for Input to Subsequent Editions

Maine Community Resilience Workbook

Thank you for engaging with the 2023 edition of the Community Resilience Workbook (CRW)!

The Maine CRW, which includes the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Outcomes Tool (CAROT), is a compendium of climate initiatives in Maine and a guide to resources that assist communities and practitioners prepare for climate change. CRW aims to provide a framework and how-to guide for climate change assessment in Maine, taking collective actions, and achieving community resilience outcomes. We request feedback to improve future editions of the workbook and to strategize an online version of the content.

These resources were developed over the last two years and are built upon important work happening across Maine. Throughout 2023, we will incorporate your and others’ feedback, release the updated versions of this product, and establish an online portal to deliver guidance and reach experts for technical assistance and peer-to-peer learning. Between now and then, your thoughtful and precise feedback can improve the CRW. Those who provide an in-depth review, work above and beyond to gather feedback from local communities or contribute writing for sections in the CRW will be acknowledged in future publications.

If you share and use this resource with the communities/groups that you work with, you are effectively joining the team. We envision the co-production of this resource to be fully collaborative and intend to reflect that by expanding the team to anyone who steps into a role of a content generator or gatherer. Please use a disclaimer that this is a draft with room for improvement in both style and content. We’d appreciate it if you introduce this work with a caveat akin to, “This is an effort to co-produce practical guidance for addressing climate change at the local level. Editions will improve iteratively with input from diverse stakeholders. Guidance is not prescriptive, rather it is intended to expedite information sharing and connections to build capacity for community resilience initiatives through a process that supports efforts across Maine communities.”

There are multiple ways to submit feedback:

1. Complete the online survey or fill out the feedback form (it has the same question as the online survey) and email your responses,
2. Provide edits and comments using track changes directly to the Maine CRW and email your responses,
3. Schedule a meeting with the steering committee.

We’ve offered initial questions to streamline feedback, though all feedback is welcome.

Please email responses to Parker Gassett at parker.gassett@maine.edu and Nathan Robbins at nathan.p.robbins@maine.gov.

Feedback Survey (Qualtrics)

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