The Maine Won't Wait program is the official four-year climate action plan created by the Maine Climate Council to cut carbon pollution and prepare the state for climate change. The Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund was created to provide funding to Municipalities, Tribal Governments, and Infrastructure Districts to adapt existing critical infrastructure to reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts, such as sea level rise, increased precipitation, and other related climate risks.

In 2024, the Town of Machiasport Select Board applied for and has been awarded a $475k grant via Maine’s Infrastructure Adaptation Fund to move a 1035 ft. length of a storm surge-prone coastal right of way to be moved 35 feet inland in a coastal flood plain despite the Town being aware of a more resilient upland easement that has been offered to them for free with no restrictions from the property owners. The current Right of Way and location of the proposed project is on private property and was offered to the Town by the property owners when it was known as Beach Road, until the Town recently renamed it Port Road, which is the road the goes into town.

The Town’s grant application states that the coastal route is the only available route which it is not and it also states that 255 cars pass there daily when it’s more like 20. There are a variety of environmental issues, emergency access concerns that are all delineated in the application. The state of Maine's website states that it has allocated “$475,000 to the town of Machiasport to move an exposed portion of Port Road 1,035 feet inland” when in fact, it is the 1,035 foot length of road that will be moved only 35 feet inland. That misrepresentation suggests that the road is being relocated a 1/4 mile inland, but that is not the case. 

Maine State Officials:

In a June 27, 2022 letter to the Select Board, The Maine Department of Environmental Protection Director, Eastern Maine Regional Office, James Beyer specifically advised that: Given that sea-level rise is occurring, the rate of the rise is expected to increase, and coastal storms are becoming more severe, complying with [DEP requirements for maintaining the road] may prove problematic. I would strongly encourage the town consider relocating the road away from the ocean.

Furthermore, Sue Baker, State Coordinator for the National Flood Insurance Program at the Maine Emergency Management Agency (“MEMA”) contacted the Town Clerk on December 11, 2023 to inform the Town: that there are hazard mitigation grant programs that may be used to design and relocate the road out of this environmentally sensitive area along the shoreline.

Ms. Baker further advised the Town Clerk in an email dated December 12, 2023: My concern is that the road continues to erode given its close proximity to the shoreline. Maintaining this road is going to be a never ending battle when considering future sea level rise. Relocating to the road is a much safer option, which is why I passed on the potential grant funding opportunity. My goal was simply to give the town another alternative to potentially help solve the problem.

It would seem that the truly resilient and durable option would necessitate that the grant be rejected and that the Town should reapply for funding to build the road behind the homes on the upland easement option. This grant application from the Town of Machiasport enables utilization of taxpayer’s resilience funds for a project that is not resilient with a clearly more resilient option being available. 

Help us raise awareness of the details of this grant application and the upland easement option to state entities for consideration of a truly resilient and sustainable use of Maine taxpayers funds within the state’s resiliency program.

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