AUGUSTA - The Maine House of Representatives voted to advance LD 142, sponsored by Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, which would provide $3.7 million in funding over the next three years to support four Maine Climate Corps program leadership positions and 50 program fellows.
The idea for a Maine Climate Corps program was proposed by LD 722 and LD 1974 in the 130th Legislature, which were sponsored by Rielly and later passed into law. The program is focused on generating job opportunities for those interested in working to address Maine's climate challenges.
Currently, Volunteer Maine, the state's service commission, is working with four Climate Corps fellows and aiming to bring more interested community members into this work.
"Maine cannot operate an effective Climate Corps program with only four members," said Rielly. "We need a fully-funded program to address all of the areas as outlined in the Maine Climate Corps report. LD 142 will fully fund the program and will ensure that our communities and organizations across the state, from Downeast to the Piscataqua River, are able to meet our collective climate mitigation and resilience goals."
In distributing its first round of funding, the commission awarded the pilot funds to Downeast Partners, the Community Action Program for Washington and Hancock Counties. With the limited funding from the last legislative session, the program is focused on energy conservation in response to the energy crisis impacting Maine. Volunteer Maine has connected with over 20 organizations that would benefit from having a Climate Corps Fellow and has been met with a lot of interest in the program.
"All Mainers should have the opportunity to serve our communities," said Rielly. "The Maine Climate Corps program will give people of all ages the chance to make a difference while addressing our most pressing climate-related needs from home energy efficiency to monitoring invasive species."
The bill faces votes in the Senate and the House in the coming weeks.
Rielly is serving his second term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. He represents House District 127, which includes a portion of Westbrook.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Rielly], 305-965-2744