Shore and Harbor Planning Grants

Fiscal Year 2024 Program

Maine Coastal Program is currently seeking applications for a new round of coastal planning grants for FY2024. Shore and Harbor Planning Grants support municipal and regional projects in Maine’s Coastal Zone. The FY2024 Shore and Harbor Planning Grant program statement is being released to coincide with the Winter round of the Governor’s Office of Policy, Innovation, and the Future’s Community Action Grants. While it is not required for the application, the Community Action Grant funds may be used as match for the Federally funded Shore and Harbor Planning Grant. Proposals are due on Friday, June 2, 2023, at 5:00 pm.

The Maine Coastal Program's FY24 Grant Program Statement can be found here. (PDF file, 5908 KB)

Program Goals

The Shore and Harbor Planning Grant program provides resources on a competitive basis for shoreline access planning, waterfront and harbor planning, identification and resolution of waterfront use conflicts, and planning, feasibility, and design efforts for resilient waterfront infrastructure. Shore and Harbor Planning Grant projects are often well prepared to compete for construction funding through other sources. 

Programs Goals: short program summary.

Potential Activities 

Potential projects may include, but are not limited to: 

  • Development of harbor management plans, mooring plans, and waterfront facility plans
  • Climate vulnerability assessments and resilience plans for waterfront infrastructure
  • Development and implementation of regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to waterfront conservation and improvement
  • Development of public and commercial access inventories and needs assessments for additional or improved access
  • Planning, feasibility, and design efforts for resilient waterfront infrastructure
  • Development of capital improvement plans to finance waterfront improvements
  • Public outreach to raise awareness of working waterfront businesses and activities
  • Economic analyses to document the value of commercial fishing and small ports and harbors 
  • Legal work to identify lost or contested rights-of-way 

For an example of a vulnerability assessment and resilience planning project for working waterfront infrastructure, see the Penobscot Bay Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Planning Draft Summary report here. 

FY 2023 Grantees

  • Bar Harbor: Master plan for the former ferry terminal property
  • Chebeague Island: Chebeague Stone Wharf resiliency planning and design
  • Greater Portland Council of Governments: Protecting and improving shore access in Casco Bay (towns of Georgetown, Brunswick, Harpswell, and Yarmouth)
  • Long Island: Ponce’s Landing redesign
  • Thomaston: Town of Thomaston paddle craft ramp project

Example Projects, Maps, and Funding Summary

Example projects and additional information about funded projects starting in Fiscal Year 2011

More Information