Coastal grants available for municipal and regional projects

AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry's Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP) and the Maine Department of Marine Resources Maine Coastal Program (MCP) are seeking applications for the 10^th round of Coastal Community Grants for FY 2020.

Coastal Community Grants are an important element of the MPAP’s work to encourage and promote efforts of coastal communities and regional planning organizations pursuant to the goals of the Growth Management Act (M.R.S.A. 30-A, Chapter 187) and Coastal Management Policies (M.R.S.A. 38, Chapter 19).

The grants are for municipal and regional projects in Maine’s coastal zone. Funding for these technical assistance grants comes from Maine Coastal Program’s annual grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Eligible projects must be designed to improve water quality, increase resiliency/adaptation to erosion and flooding, conserve coastal habitat, promote sustainable development, and enhance the coastal-dependent economy while preserving natural coastal resources. This program is designed to address the five priority goals of the Maine Coastal Program:  

• Ensuring Sustainable, Vibrant Coastal Communities
• Improving Coastal Public Access
• Addressing the effects of land use activity on water quality
• Restoring Coastal Habitats
• Preparing for coastal storms, erosion and flooding, coastal hazards

Those eligible to apply include towns and unorganized territories in Maine’s coastal zone, groups of towns and unorganized territories in Maine’s coastal zone, coastal regional planning commissions, and coastal councils of governments. The Coastal Communities Grants have a maximum award of $100,000.

Coastal Communities Grant applications are due Monday June 3, 2019 at 2 P.M.

The application information and forms can be found in the FY20 Coastal Community Grant Program Statement:http://www.maine.gov/dacf/municipalplanning/financial_assistance.shtml

At the conclusion of each project, grant recipients are requested to prepare a case study to describe the project’s approach and results, identify next steps and needs, share lessons learned and applicability for other municipalities, and provide recommendations to the MCP for follow-up by state agencies to address identified municipal and regional needs and emerging coastal issues. Case studies of Coastal Community Grant projects prepared by grant recipients can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/municipalplanning/casestudies/ccg-case-studies.shtml

For more information about the Maine Coastal Program visit: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/mcp/

For more information about the Municipal Planning Assistance Program visit:
http://www.maine.gov/dacf/municipalplanning/