The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Municipal Planning Assistance Program seeks applications for a new round of Coastal Community Grants for FY 2022. The grants are for municipal and regional projects in Maine’s Coastal Zone. Funding for those technical assistance grants comes from Maine Coastal Program’s annual grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The total amount of funds available for the Coastal Communities Grant Program in FY22 is expected to be approximately $175,000, according to the program, in a news releaes. The minimum award amount will be $20,000 and the maximum award amount will be $50,000. Communities eligible to apply include towns in Maine’s coastal zone, groups of towns in Maine’s coastal zone; coastal Regional Planning Commissions; and coastal Councils of Government.

This program statement invites proposals in three categories that focus on building community resiliency and adapting to climate change; particularly those that address the State of Maine’s Adaptation Goals in Maine Won’t Wait: A Four-Year Plan for Climate Action (December 2020). Eligible Coastal Community Grant project categories include:

Ensuring Sustainable, Vibrant Coastal Communities
Restoring Coastal Habitats
Preparing for coastal storms, erosion and flooding, coastal hazards

Grant applications are due Thursday, April 15, 2021.

Coastal Community Grants are an important element of the Municipal Planning Assistance Program’s mission to foster innovative and effective approaches to land use management by providing technical and financial assistance to Maine municipalities. The Coastal Community Grant Program (CCG) Statement can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/municipalplanning/financial_assistance.shtml

More information about the Maine Coastal Program can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/mcp/about/index.htm