$6M in storm relief will help over 100 Maine businesses rebuild
Photo / Renee Cordes
The Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth is among more than 100 Maine businesses in line to receive winter storm relief funding. This was the rainy scene at the Lobster Shack on Friday morning, as Maine was pelted with the remnants of Hurricane Debby.
More than 100 businesses and organizations in Maine will be getting a total of $5.8 million in state relief to help recover from last winter's damaging storms.
The grants, announced Thursday by Gov. Janet Mills, are the first awarded from the $10 million Business Recovery and Resilience Fund.
The fund was established as part of the $60 million approved by Mills and state lawmakers through the supplemental budget in May, in what is being touted as the state's largest-ever funding effort for storm recovery. The fund also includes $21.2 million for working waterfronts that were damaged by the storms, as announced last month.
From the $5.8 million announced Thursday, 109 grant recipients will receive up to $100,000 to cover design, permitting and construction costs for projects to address the impacts of last winter’s storms and to prepare for future storms and climate change.
The awards are considered conditional, pending a final review of project eligibility and documentation.
“These important grants will help businesses rebuild in a more resilient way that improves their ability to withstand future storms, which will protect the jobs and livelihoods of Maine people and safeguard our economy from the destructive impacts of climate change in the long run,” Mills said.
Businesses and organizations receiving funding span all 16 Maine counties and range from lobster processors to breweries and hotels.
Recipients include the Lobster Shack at Two Lights, a seasonal oceanfront restaurant in Cape Elizabeth, which was awarded more than $14,000; and Woodland Pulp, in the Washington County town of Baileyville, which will receive $100,000.
"This funding is critical for us, because we were ineligible for other types of storm-related relief," said Marty Richard, an executive with Woodland Pulp. "These funds will allow us to address repair needs and better prepare to withstand future weather damage to minimize the impact to our business."
'Resilience-focused projects'
A full list of grant recipients is available here.
"These awards represent an important investment in the businesses and organizations that drive our state," said Heather Johnson, commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.
"This funding will ensure businesses that sustained major damage can reopen and prepare for future storms, increase the resilience of trail infrastructure critical to our outdoor recreation economy, and fund resilience-focused projects across Maine."
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