Maine Coastal Program Habitat Restoration Planning Grant

    Funding agency
    Maine Office of Community Affairs (MOCA)
    Program name
    Maine Coastal Program
    Status
    Open
    Description

    Created in 1978, the Maine Coastal Program (MCP) is a federal, state, and local partnership under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 and is one of 34 coastal programs nationwide. MCP is pleased to announce an opportunity for municipalities, unorganized townships, Tribal governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or Regional Planning Organizations to receive funding for coastal habitat restoration planning projects. Projects will include the planning, design, and/or engineering for habitat restoration, resiliency, or coastal acquisition projects.

    Contact
    Robert Van Riper, robert.vanriper@maine.gov
    Max award
    $100,000
    Match required
    No
    Applications open
    Applications close
    Future rounds
    One-time funding
    Eligible applicant description

    Eligible applicants include municipalities, unorganized townships, and Tribal Governments in Maine’s Coastal Zone. Regional Planning Organizations and NGOs are eligible as well as service providers to municipalities and should have a letter of support from an official representative from the municipality, unorganized township, or Tribal Government where the work will be conducted.

    Eligibility requirements

    Applicants must be in Maine’s Coastal Zone to be considered for grant funding. Eligible activities include community outreach, surveys, site characterizations, inventories, preliminary and final designs, prioritization of projects, preparation of plans, and outreach with willing sellers. In addition, the funds can be used to identify local and regional land conservation priorities in preparation for future projects. Subawards will not fund construction, land acquisition, or site monitoring. Nature-based infrastructure solutions, such as living shorelines, are not eligible for grant funding.

    Geographic eligibility

    Must be located in Maine's Coastal Zone, as defined on DMR's website: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/node/421#cz_towns

    Project type
    Capacity and Technical Assistance
    Climate Planning and Resilience
    Community and Economic Development
    Infrastructure and Transportation
    Natural Resource and Environmental Stewardship
    Project subcategory
    Bike/Ped and Trails
    Climate Planning
    Climate Resilience
    Coastal Flooding
    Culverts and Stream Crossings
    Dams
    Ecological Restoration
    Forest Management
    Inland Flooding
    Invasive Species
    Land Acquisition/Easements
    Land Use Planning and Zoning
    Parks and Recreation
    Railroads and Railway Crossings
    Roads and Bridges
    Salt marsh
    Sea Level Rise
    Shoreline Erosion
    Storm Response
    Technical Assistance
    Other (Capacity and Technical Assistance)
    Other (Climate Planning and Resilience)
    Other (Community and Economic Development)
    Other (Infrastructure and Transportation)
    Other (Natural Resource and Environmental Stewardship)
    Project stage
    Planning
    Design
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    Last updated: February 3, 2026