Financial Assistance

Coastal Community Planning Grants Opportunity

FY24 (Proposals due June 2, 2023)

FY24 Coastal Community Grant Program (CCG) Statement
FY24 Project Budget Tables
FY24 Questions received and answers (questions were due 4/28/2023)

The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP) is seeking applications for a new round of Coastal Community Grants (CCG). CCG applications are due Friday, June 2, 2023, by 5:00 pm.

Open to counties, municipalities, unorganized territories, tribal governments, and Regional Planning Organizations in Maine's coastal zone. Groups of two or more coastal municipalities are eligible to submit a multi-municipal application. CCG competitive grants include projects in Maine's coastal zone with a focus on the following priority coastal issues, as identified by the Maine Coastal Program and the Maine Climate Council's Maine Won't Wait: A Four-Year Plan for Climate Action:

  • Building Community Resiliency to Adapt to a Changing Climate
  • Planning for Green Infrastructure
  • Preparing for Flooding, Sea Level Rise, Coastal Storms and Storm Surge, and Shoreline Erosion
  • Land Use Activity Impacts to Water Quality

The Municipal Planning Assistance Program anticipates making multiple Coastal Community Grant awards in the range of $20,000-$50,000. The total amount of funds available for the FY 2024 program is approximately $165,000. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides funding for these grants in cooperation with the Maine Department of Marine Resources Maine Coastal Program.

This CCG program statement is being released to coincide with the third round of Community Action Grants from the Community Resilience Partnership in the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, which will be released in the Spring of 2023. CCG applicants are encouraged to examine opportunities for coordinating these two grant programs to maximize project scope and efficiencies. As non-federal funding, Community Action Grants provide an eligible match for the federal Coastal Community Grant opportunity.

CCG case Studies, which include ‘Lessons Learned’ from previously funded projects, are available on MPAP’s CCG Case Studies webpage. Questions about CCG applications should be directed to Joan A. Walton, (207) 419-8661.

Past Coastal Community Grant Projects

Since 2012, this grant program has provided over $2 million for 74 projects throughout coastal Maine. List of Coastal Community Grant Awards (XLSX).

Coastal Community Grant Program Case Studies

At the conclusion of each project, grant recipients 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 help identify municipal and regional needs and emerging coastal issues. The case studies focus on sharing lessons learned “in their own words” and can be found on our Coastal Community Grant Case Studies webpage.

Maine's Community Planning & Implementation Grant Programs have been suspended due to state budget cuts

These include first-time comprehensive planning grants, implementation grants, and update grants.

Brownfields

Additional Federal & State Funding Opportunities

  • Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Community Development Block Grant Program Maine's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program provides funding and technical support for projects that achieve local community and economic development objectives while principally benefiting low-moderate income persons. These grants are administered by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.
  • Maine Safe Routes to School Program A matching grant program to improve safety for Maine children who bike or walk to school. Typical improvements include sidewalks, multi-use paths, crosswalks and traffic signals designed to separate children from vehicular traffic in school areas. The program is open to all Maine municipalities and school districts. These grants are administered by the Maine Department of Transportation.
  • Section 319 Program A matching grant program for planning and implrementation of measures to address non-point source water pollution. These grants are administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.