$21M will go to help 68 Maine working waterfronts damaged by storms

File Photo / Fred Field The working waterfront on Custom House Wharf in Portland, seen during a storm in January 2024.

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A total of 68 Maine working waterfronts damaged by storms in January will receive $21.2 million in state funding to recover and rebuild.

Grants from the Working Waterfront Resilience Grant Program are funded with $60 million in state funding that was approved by lawmakers through the supplemental budget, Gov. Janet Mills said on Monday.

The 68 working waterfront projects set to receive grant funds cover a range of needs, including reconstruction and improvement of damaged wharves and piers, rebuilding and restoration of key support buildings such as bait sheds, and repairing and upgrading fuel and electrical systems.

The largest preliminary grants awarded include $2 million apiece for the Custom House Wharf and for Maine Wharf LLC in Portland, and $516,500 for the New Harbor Co-op.

“These funds will help rebuild the docks higher by up to 2 feet, repair the wiring, replace our freezer and move the office to a safer location,” said Linda Vannah, the co-op's manager.

“With these repairs, we should be able to withstand the more intense storms we’re seeing and continue to serve the fishermen who depend on us.”

'Cornerstone of coastal communities'

“Working waterfronts are a cornerstone of our coastal communities and our economy, and last winter’s devastating storm demonstrated just how vulnerable they are to extreme weather and climate change,” Mills said in Monday’s announcement.

“These grants will help rebuild working waterfronts so they are able to better withstand future storms, protecting access to the water now and for generations to come.”

The Working Waterfront Resilience Grant Program is a joint initiative of the Maine Department of Transportation, Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future.

The agencies reviewed 80 applications for the program. The full list of projects and funding requests is available here.

The Island Institute and the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association also dedicated resources to help property owners complete and submit grant applications.

The program enabled grant applicants to request up to $2 million for design, permitting and construction of projects. Applicants were required to provide a 1-to-1 financial match toward the cost of the work.

MaineDOT administers the grant funds, which will be distributed to recipients in collaboration with municipalities in an approach adapted from DOT’s Locally Administered Project program. Municipalities will act as a pass-through for funding to the applicant and confirm that funded work has been completed.

In addition to the Working Waterfront Resilience Grant Program, Mills and the Maine Legislature allocated $35 million to two other funds for storm recovery. Decisions on applications are expected in coming weeks.