As communities reel from extreme storms that caused tens of millions of dollars of damage across the state, resiliency is a hot issue. To help bolster Boothbay Harbor, the selectboard signed a municipal resolution Feb. 12 to express commitment for efforts to increase climate resiliency and access funds to support them.  

The selectboard passed the motion to sign the resolution 4-0 with one member absent. The resolution states the town will participate in the Community Resilience Partnership, “which supports community leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resiliency to extreme weather and climate change impacts.” 

Boothbay Region Climate Action Team (BRCAT) co-chair Aislyn Keyes said passing the resolution demonstrates the town's commitment to climate action. Keyes, a Boothbay Harbor representative for the group, was appointed by the selectboard that evening. 

“We all have and will continue to experience the local impacts of climate change, and tonight was a critical step towards action,” she said in an email to the Register. “We now have access to a plethora of resources to protect our most vulnerable communities and build climate resilience.” 

The resolution was the last step in a long process to enroll the town in the Community Resilience Partnership, administered by the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. The partnership offers communities support to help implement strategic priorities identified in Maine’s Climate Action Plan, “Maine Won’t Wait.” 

Shri Verrill of Sunrise Ecologic, who serves as the BRCAT service provider, presented the resolution. According to her, by signing it, the town is eligible to apply for up to $50,000 in grants to support the town’s climate goals. In addition, she said a joint application between towns could be eligible for up to $125,000. The Southport selectboard signed a similar resolution in November, and the Boothbay selectboard plans to discuss one at their Feb. 14 meeting. 

In November, BRCAT held a public workshop to identify priorities around climate change and resiliency, selected by community members. As a result, six items were prioritized as action areas and listed in the resolution. These included conducting a vulnerability assessment, implementing green transportation strategies, creating a climate change outreach program, protecting shoreland and wetlands, protecting utilities and implementing a plan for efficiency improvements to public buildings. Keyes said enrolling in the partnership opens avenues to help support them. 

“Many of us are strained financially these days and there are also a lot of worthy efforts that require tax dollars,” she said. “The BRCAT is a small but mighty team that is working hard to secure funding for climate action in our communities. Climate change will continue to impact the Harbor, (and) we're hoping that these efforts will relieve some of the economic burden associated with resilience building.” 

In other business, the selectboard unanimously approved an amendment to a Jan. 11 wharves and weirs license from the Boothbay Region Maritime Foundation. The applicant wanted to reduce their pier size and reconfigure their floats. According to the board, there were no objections from abutters, and the changes do not interfere with navigation or cause injury to the rights of others. 

Additionally, the selectboard and town manager congratulated Police Chief Doug Snyder for receiving a risk reduction grant to purchase new cameras. “I appreciate the hard work in doing the grants. It’s always exciting to see we can get funding for the grants and take the burden off of taxpayers,” said Selectboard Chair Michael Tomko.