MCOG NewsletterSeptember 2024Dear all, We at MCOG have been enjoying watching the leaves turn, and we hope fall has been treating you well. Below you will find information on upcoming technical assistance opportunities, programs, and workshops.
Save the Date: MCOG General AssemblyThe MCOG General Assembly will be held at the Watts Hall in Thomaston on November 21st. The theme will be “The Challenge of Change” for communities, and there will be a discussion on demographics, climate change, transportation, and housing, and more. Save the date and look out for an RSVP shortly. More Climate Action Assistance Coming Soon!Starting later this fall, the Midcoast Council of Governments will be offering enhanced support to communities that are either enrolled in or looking to join the Community Resilience Partnership. We will be hiring a dedicated staff member whose role will be to help move your climate priorities forward. This person will be available to assist with a range of tasks, including identifying funding opportunities, developing resilience strategies, coordinating community engagement, and implementing priority climate actions.
Our dedicated staff will work closely with you to ensure you have the resources and guidance needed to address the challenges posed by climate change. Whether you're just starting your resilience journey or advancing specific projects, this new resource will help you take the next steps toward a more resilient and sustainable future. Stay tuned for more details! Have a question right now? Reach out to Meg Rasmussen, Community Resilience Planner at mrasmussen@midcoastcog.com. Maine Service Fellows ProgramIn January 2025, five early-career professionals will be placed in Maine communities to add capacity to a local climate resilience project. Placements will be made exclusively in Community Resilience Partnership (CRP) communities to help advance active CRP-funded projects and aid in identifying and applying for future grant proposals.
The Maine Service Fellows Program is inviting letters of interest for rural host sites and we encourage you to apply!
This collaboration between the Community Resilience Partnership and Volunteer Maine’s Maine Service Fellows Program is possible with federal funding through the Resilient Maine project.
What is the Maine Service Fellows Program? MSF connects recent college graduates with rural communities that need a year of concentrated effort to tackle local challenges.
Your community would be a candidate to host if you need help with: 1) implementing your CRP-funded project; 2) engaging volunteers and building partnerships to ensure enduring capacity for the project; 3) conducting outreach so more stakeholders are able to use and access existing resources; 4) and engaging with vulnerable populations to ensure their participation in the project.
You will also have the opportunity to mentor a recent grad and give them real world experience in the climate sector.
Host Site Eligibility The Maine Service Fellows Host Site must be:
If you are interested in learning more about hosting a Maine Service Fellow, please view the recording on an information webinar held a few weeks ago.
Letters of Interest are due Friday, October 11th. Download the form here. Selected host sites will work with the Program Director to develop their full application, service plan, and recruit a Maine Service Fellow to start service in January 2025. For more information contact Kirsten.Brewer@maine.gov or service.commission@maine.gov.
Streamlined Vulnerability Assessments Available through the Community Resilience PartnershipMidcoast Council of Governments (MCOG) is offering a streamlined climate vulnerability assessment tailored for communities that are just beginning to address climate resilience and need a cost-effective, actionable plan to identify and mitigate their key vulnerabilities.
We are offering these services for currently enrolled, or enrolling communities under the Community Resilience Partnership (CRP) Track 2 Service Provider grant program. This will be a broad overview of vulnerabilities so communities can start making incremental improvements, addressing the most pressing vulnerabilities while laying the groundwork for future, more detailed analysis of climate risks if needed. A $1,875 match is required; in-kind match is permitted.
By taking these initial steps, your community can start addressing climate risks today while preparing for long-term resilience. Contact Meg Rasmussen, Community Resilience Planner, at mrasmussen@midcoastcog.com to learn more about how we can assist your community in completing a vulnerability assessment and identifying priority actions. Thriving Communities Site VisitsMidcoast Council of Governments, Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission, and Midcoast Public Transportation were recently selected from over 200 applicants to receive two years of technical assistance through US Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities Program (TCP). The focus of this program is designing and advancing transportation infrastructure projects that address critical social, economic, environmental, and mobility needs.
We see this as a historic opportunity to begin to tackle the growing pressures of traffic congestion, climate change, and an aging population on the Midcoast’s transportation system. Ultimately, our vision is an integrated, resilient transportation system designed for users of all ages, incomes, and abilities that precipitates economic growth and transit-oriented development in the Midcoast area. Participating in TCP will provide us the critical capacity, resources, tools, and access to funding to implement our vision.
As a first step in this process, on September 30, and October 1, staff from MCOG, LCRPC, and MCPT took local municipal officials and staff from Rural Community Action Partners (RCAP) on a two-day driving and walking tour of the region. This tour gave RCAP a sense of the transportation challenges in the Midcoast and will help inform a regional needs assessment. The route covered Brunswick through Searsport. Key points were Cook’s Corner, the Knox County Regional Airport, Rockland Harbor Park, the Downtowns of Bath, Wiscasset, Damariscotta, Searsmont, Camden, and Belfast, and the Searsport Town Wharf.
As the process continues, there will continue to be stakeholder meetings and events. If you would like to participate in them, please contact Reed Silvers (rsilvers@midcoastcog.com) to be placed on a TCP mailing list. Maine Office of Community Affairs ApprovedGovernor Janet Mills today announced that she has appointed Samantha Horn, an expert in land use and natural resource policy and planning, to lead the Maine Office of Community Affairs, a new standalone office created by the Governor and Legislature earlier this year that will partner with Maine communities to strengthen planning and implementation at the local level.
The Office will serve as a one-stop shop within State government to provide coordinated and efficient planning, technical assistance, and financial support to towns, cities, Tribal governments and regional entities, which will help them better plan for common challenges, pursue solutions, and create stronger, more resilient communities.
More information here: Governor Mills Announces Director for New Maine Office of Community Affairs | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills Erosion Control WorkshopThursday, October 24, 2024 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Coastal River Conservation Trust 3 Round Top Lane Damariscotta, ME
Soil erosion is not only a source of non-point source pollution; it can also threaten structures and other development along waterbodies. Historically, there was a single approach to shoreline erosion: fill the shoreline with rock or riprap without regard to the ecological functions of the shoreline. While this approach can be successful in solving the erosion problem when done correctly, we now know it creates other problems for waterbodies, fish, and wildlife.
Shoreline erosion can be caused by several factors, and finding an appropriate solution requires an understanding of each reason behind the erosion. In this class, participants will be exposed to the factors leading to shoreline erosion, how land use and behavior affects shorelines, state permitting standards related to shoreline stabilization, the importance of vegetation and other natural processes in stabilization of shorelines, and how to minimize impacts to the water on shoreline projects. This 4-hour class qualifies for 4 Continuing Education Hours (CEH) for individuals Certified in Erosion Control Practices by Maine DEP.
More information can be found here: Inland Shoreline Stabilization Practices Certification Course (in-person only) — Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District Planning Jobs Open NowThere are three planners positions open in the southern part of the MCOG region. Please see the links below for the job descriptions.
https://www.brunswickme.gov/Jobs.aspx
https://www.cityofbathmaine.gov/jobs/1712/ New Business Recovery Grant AwardsMCOG awarded New Business Recovery Grants totaling $133,657 to six Midcoast businesses under its Economic Recovery Implementation Hub. Businesses awarded grants are located in Belfast (2), Boothbay, Nobleboro, Northport and Wiscasset. The types of business included value-added food producers (3), an herb grower/processor, textile manufacturer and a software platform for recipe-sharing. Know someone who may be interested in this newsletter?
Thanks for reading! The MCOG Team Mathew Eddy, Brian Dancause, Meg Rasmussen, Max Johnstone, Adi Philson, Dan DeBord, Reed Silvers, and Charlotte Nutt 165 Main St, Damariscotta, ME, USA Share on social This email was created with Wix. Discover More
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