NOAA, Biden-Harris Administration announce $69 million for Maine project as part of Investing in America Agenda

Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department of Commerce and NOAA have recommended $69 million for a project in Maine to make the state’s coast more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards. The awards are being made under the Biden Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, a competitive, $575 million program funded through the nearly $6 billion total investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. 

“As part of President Biden’s commitment to combating the climate crisis, we are investing $575 million to help make sure America’s coastal communities are more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As part of this historic investment in our nation’s climate resilience the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $69 million to help underserved communities in Maine develop and implement new strategies to protect themselves from flooding, storm surge, and extreme weather events.” 

Administered by the Department of Commerce and NOAA, the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative is focused on investing in high-impact projects that create climate solutions by storing carbon; building resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restoring coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; building the capacity of underserved communities and supporting community-driven restoration; and providing employment opportunities.

“NOAA recognizes Maine’s ambition as a national leader in climate resilience,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “This funding will help the state become more resilient to climate impacts while fostering economic opportunity and prosperity and advancing equity.”

The recommended project in Maine includes $69 million for work with the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. The project, Resilient Maine: Local Adaptation and Resilience Actions at a Coastwide Scale, supports the goals outlined in the state’s award-winning climate action plan. This funding is focused on nature-based solutions, strengthening the resilience of Maine’s working waterfronts and building enduring capacity to prepare for, and respond to, climate change impacts.

Specific activities include supporting underserved, rural and tribal communities in the development and implementation of climate adaptation strategies; expanding the availability and use of technical assistance tools and training focused on flood risk, saltwater intrusion, bluff stability and living shorelines; updating the state’s regulatory framework to support climate resilience; conducting demonstration projects that incentivize regional collaboration and nature-based solutions; and strengthening the climate resilience of vulnerable public infrastructure and working waterfronts.

“Maine knows firsthand the devastating impact that climate change can have on our people, our communities, and our economy – just look at the unprecedented damage caused by last winter’s severe storms,” said Governor Janet Mills. “We are in a critical fight to protect the health of our people, the health of our environment, and the health of our economy from the ravages of climate change. Thankfully, this historic investment from the Biden-Harris Administration will accelerate and expand our already aggressive work to make our state, especially our vital working waterfronts, stronger and more resilient to the severe storms we know are ahead. I thank President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary Raimondo for their leadership to make this grant possible and look forward to using this funding to improve the lives and livelihoods of Maine people.”

“Whether its extreme storms like we had this past winter, heat waves or ocean acidification, we are already living through the impacts of climate change here in Maine,” said Senator Angus King. “It is clear that the climate crisis is upon us and demands immediate action. This $69 million award from NOAA — funded through the landmark Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — will be critical in ensuring our state meets its climate goals, while also cementing Maine as a national leader in climate resiliency.”

“Maine is on the front lines of the climate crisis, and our working waterfronts continue to bear the brunt of its devastating impacts,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01). “The $69 million grant from NOAA we’re celebrating today will accelerate progress towards the climate resilience goals outlined in the state’s climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait, and strengthen the resilience of our vulnerable working waterfronts. As a rural state with nearly 500 towns, the longer-term components of this funding will significantly advance work to engage in those communities who need to increase their resilience, but don’t currently have the capacity to do it. Thanks to historic legislation passed by Congressional Democrats and signed by President Biden, our financial and technical means to act on climate has arguably never been greater.

Additional information is available on the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge website. 

Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.