View this email in your browser ([link removed])


** Governor Mills Welcomes Plan to Rebuild and Protect Maine’s Communities and Infrastructure from Severe Storm Damage
------------------------------------------------------------
Last Wednesday in Damariscotta, Governor Janet Mills joined the Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission ([link removed]) to release its Plan for Infrastructure Resilience for Maine, the culmination of the Commission’s work over the last year to inform and guide the state’s response, recovery, and rebuilding from extreme storms.

Commission co-chairs Linda Nelson and Dan Tishman outlined the Plan’s comprehensive strategy to prepare Maine’s communities, infrastructure, and economy for increasingly frequent and severe storms, like those that caused an estimated $90 million damage to public infrastructure, and untold damage to homes and businesses, across inland and coastal Maine in December 2023 and January 2024.

The damage to the Damariscotta waterfront and nearby businesses caused by the December 2023 storm (upper left). The area, which is prone to frequent flooding, has now been repaired to mitigate future flood damage.
The 24-member Commission was established by Governor Mills in May 2024 to develop a long-term resilience plan for Maine in response to those storms. The Commission delivered its Plan to Governor Mills at MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, which is completing a significant infrastructure improvement project with the town to address chronic flooding to its primary access road during storms.

“In Maine, we no longer know the storms of yesterday. Storms are now more frequent and dangerous, flooding our homes and businesses, washing out our roads and bridges, and threatening the health of our people and economy,” said Governor Janet Mills. “The changes to our weather and our climate are harming people, communities, and businesses across our state. We must prevent as much damage as possible and be ready to quickly recover when storms take their toll. I welcome the Commission’s Plan for Infrastructure Resilience and thank them all for their hard work. This Plan will guide efforts in the year to come to protect this great state we all call home.”
“Damariscotta is one of many communities across Maine facing head on the impacts of climate change, and their community leaders have taken many forward-looking steps to protect its community and infrastructure,” said Hannah Pingree, a Commission member and Director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, which staffed the Commission. “Storms are striking more often and with greater intensity, exacerbating rising sea levels, flooding inland communities, and knocking out critical infrastructure. This Plan looks to the days and decades ahead to protect the Maine we love for future generations.”

Brian Ambrette, left, Damariscotta Town Manager Andrew Dorr, center, and GOPIF Director Hannah Pingree visit the newly rebuilt waterfront site on Wednesday.

Brian Ambrette was also announced as the first Director of the State Resilience Office in the Maine Office of Community Affairs. As senior climate resilience coordinator in the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, Ambrette was instrumental in developing the plan.

Following the Plan’s announcement, Commission members Pingree, Ambrette, and others met with local officials and business owners to tour the repaired downtown waterfront area. The area experienced severe flooding in December 2023 and will now be more resilient against future storms.
The Town of Damariscotta also acquired a water barrier that can be deployed to mitigate tidal flooding when necessary.
View the final report online ([link removed])
Download the final report PDF ([link removed])
About the Commission

Governor Mills formed the Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission to understand the challenges for communities following storms, the gaps in important resources like financing and insurance, and to consider how to improve our electric grid and energy systems — all with the goal of identifying what is needed at the state and local levels through a long-term resilience plan to strengthen Maine’s infrastructure so that it can stand strong for generations to come.

Governor Mills signed an Executive Order on May 21 to establish ([link removed]) the Commission in response to a series of disaster-level storms that hammered Maine, including two historic storms in December 2023 and January 2024. These storms caused an estimated $90 million in damage to public infrastructure across the state. The Commission produced an interim report in November 2024 ([link removed]) that it built on to deliver the long-term resilience plan in May 2025.

Further information about the Commission is available on its website ([link removed]) .

============================================================
** Share ([link removed])
** Share ([link removed])
** Tweet ([link removed] https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fmaine.gov%2Fmay-2025)
** Tweet ([link removed] https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fmaine.gov%2Fmay-2025)
** Forward ([link removed])
** Forward ([link removed])

181 State House Station

Augusta, Maine 04333

** Maine.gov/Future ([link removed])
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Want to change how you receive these emails?

You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.