Rebuilding Maine’s Working Waterfronts

July 24, 2024

Working waterfronts are a cornerstone of our coastal communities and of our economy. Last winter's devastating storms demonstrated just how vulnerable they are to extreme weather and climate change.

This week, I announced some major grants that we're distributing to those working waterfronts to help them rebuild and rebuild in ways to make them better able to withstand future storms and protect access to the water now and for generations to come.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

This spring, I proposed and the legislature approved $60 million in state funds dedicated to storm relief - the single largest investment in storm recovery by any administration in Maine history. This week, I announced that we're distributing part of that funding through the Working Waterfront Resiliency Grant program. Through that program, 68 Maine Working Waterfronts from Bailey Island and Boothbay Harbor to South Bristol and Belfast and many others will receive more than $21 million to rebuild their damaged wharves and piers, and repair bait sheds and the like, and upgrade fuel and electrical systems to rebuild their structures in a way that makes them more resilient to the impacts of future storms.

In addition to this grant program, we've also designated other funds for storm recovery, about $10 million for the Business Recovery and Resilience Fund, to provide direct support to businesses that were harmed by the winter storms. And approximately $25 million to make other public infrastructure more resilient to storms and flooding. My departments are reviewing application for those additional funds now, and we expect to announce our decisions in the coming weeks.

I hope this new funding approved by the legislature can provide some sense of certainty and security as we rebuild our infrastructure-rebuild it stronger and better, to preserve our working waterfronts and other critical infrastructure across the state for years to come, in the face of worsening weather and climate change.

My Administration will do everything we can to ensure that our working waterfronts continue to provide a good living and access for our commercial fishermen, and that they will contribute to our economy for years to come.

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.