The federal Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Tuesday that Maine has been awarded nearly $1.5 million in grant funding to repair roads and highways damaged by the storms that swept through the state last year in June and December.
The funding was awarded through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Emergency Relief Program, designed to provide assistance to places where roads and highways have been damaged as a result of natural disasters.
“The storms in June and December 2023 caused substantial damages to public infrastructure throughout Maine,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R) in a press release announcing the funding.
“This federal assistance will help to recoup costs incurred by the state during its emergency response in the immediate aftermath of these storms,” Sen. Collins said.
Click Here to Read Sen. Collins’ Full Press Release
The $1,467,830 is set to be allocated across four projects, with the majority of funding going toward reimbursing the Maine DOT for emergency work done in Jay and Chesterville last summer.
$60,000 will be sent to the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Baring to reimburse them for the costs they incurred for debris removal during the Nor’easter in December of 2023.
Similarly, the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells will be given a $149,196 reimbursement for the cost of debris removal and rehabilitation of two parking areas in response to the December 2023 storm.
The Maine Coastal Islands Complex in Steuben was awarded a $220,709 reimbursement for the costs incurred for rehabilitating the Petit Manan road and parking areas following this same storm.
The State of Maine has also taken steps in recent months to provide financial assistance to those impacted by the severe storms that swept through the states this past winter.
Earlier this year, lawmakers approved a combined $60 million transfer out of the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF) in order to provide funding to the Infrastructure Adaptation Fund (IAF), as well as to the newly-established Business Recovery and Resilience Fund (BRRF) program.
A large portion of this funding has now been awarded to businesses and working waterfronts throughout the state following an initial round of applications.
[RELATED: $5.8 Million in Grants Awarded to Businesses and Organizations Impacted by Severe Storms Last Winter]
Both of these initiatives received bipartisan support in Augusta, but lawmakers were divided along partisan lines over what would be the most appropriate source for the necessary funding.
While Democrat lawmakers backed the plan to utilize funds from the BSF, Republican legislators advocated for the money to be drawn from the unappropriated General Fund surplus.
Colloquially known as the Rainy Day Fund, the BSF is statutorily required to be used primarily as a reserve account to offset state expenses in the event of a General Fund revenue shortfall.
The BSF may also be used to to provide assistance to the families of fallen first responders or cover specifically-defined expenses during certain emergency situations.
[RELATED: $60 Million for Storm Relief Initiatives Soon to Be Transferred from Budget Stabilization Fund]
In May of this year, Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed an executive order establishing a commission to develop the state’s first plan for “long-term infrastructure resilience.”
According to the executive order, the ongoing effects of climate change will necessitate a continued investment in “recovery and rebuilding resources” because “extreme storms, inland and coastal flooding, and other natural hazards are projected to increase in frequency and severity as the climate warms.”
The severe winter storms that swept through the state this past winter were cited by Gov. Mills both in her press release and in the executive order itself as critical context for the commission’s formation.
Why are our taxes going up when the feds are paying for the repairs?