Maine to get nearly $70 million from federal government to respond to climate change - WGME
Maine to get nearly $70 million from federal government to respond to climate change
PORTLAND (WGME) -- Maine is getting almost $70 million from the federal government to respond to climate change.
It’s one of the largest investments of this kind in state history.
The state won this grant from NOAA, and it is funded under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Leaders say a lot of it will focus on the coast, though other parts of Maine will also benefit.
“This is vital to Maine's economies and communities,” lobsterman Curt Brown said.
Working waterfronts up and down the coast are still recovering from this winter.
“Docks, wharfs, causeways, bridges, damaged, devastated by these storms,” Brown said.
Brown says that's why the nearly $70 million investment announced Friday is critical.
“We will expand our efforts to make communities safer from extreme weather events,” Governor Janet Mills said.
Across the U.S., $575 million is being awarded through NOAA's highly competitive Climate Resilience Grant Challenge for 19 different projects.
“Coast to coast, we're seeing record breaking heatwaves heavy rainfall, hurricanes, wildfires and drought,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said.
Hannah Pingree, the director for the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, says most of the money will go out into communities.
“To help them do adaptation projects, help them do specific climate preparation projects,” Pingree said. “It's going to fund Maine Climate Corps workers.”
There are some pilot projects included, like at Popham Beach and another downeast, but a lot of the funds will be competitive.
Roughly $10 million to help working waterfronts will go fast.
“The infrastructure funds we will get them out the door as quickly as we can because we know communities need them,” Pingree said.
For lawmakers like Senator Angus King, there needs to be multiple solutions across the board.
He says this money is a chance to begin planning, support the work that’s already happening and make the investments.
Rhode Island was the only other New England state to get this grant, but it only received $2 million.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate legislation
The federal government and states are in the process of implementing two laws — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act — an investment of more than a trillion dollars to address climate change.