Welcome to the Maine Coastal Program

The Maine Coastal Program works with various partners toward the shared goal of a healthy coast and vibrant coastal communities.

News

Maine Coastal Highlights

Listen to the Maine Coastal Highlights produced by WCLZ radio. These short audio clips highlight a new section of the Maine coast from the Maine Coastal Access Guide every week.

The Maine Coastal Public Access Guide is now for sale online!

Getting to the Maine Coast has never been easier – the Maine Coastal Public Access Guide will lead the way! Three colorful, information-packed editions: Southern, Midcoast, and Downeast Region. Over 700 beautiful and special places along Maine’s 5,300 miles of shoreline – from sandy beaches and nature preserves to hiking paths and boat launches.

NOAA approves routine program changes to the Maine Coastal Program

Please see the News page for information on NOAA’s recent approval of proposed routine program changes.

Municipal and Regional Coastal Zone Fiscal Year 2017 Grants

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Maine Coastal Program announced that it is seeking applications for a new round of Shore and Harbor Management Grants for FY 2017. The grants are for municipal and regional projects in Maine’s Coastal Zone. Funding for these technical assistance grants comes from the Maine Coastal Program’s annual grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as well as the Submerged Lands Program within the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Shore and Harbor Management Grants have a maximum award of $30,000. Those eligible to apply include communities in Maine’s coastal zone, groups of towns in Maine’s coastal zone; coastal Regional Planning Commissions; and coastal Councils of Government.

Grant applications are due Thursday, May 12, 2016.

Maine Coastal Program Strategic Outlook, 2016-2020 Now Available

Maine Coastal Program Awards Shore and Harbor Planning Grants for Coastal Projects

The Maine Coastal Program has announced this year’s recipients of its Shore and Harbor Planning Grant. The Shore and Harbor Planning Grant Program provides planning and design support for working waterfronts, coastal infrastructure, harbor management and planning, and coastal public access. The following municipal projects received funding in the FY2016 round:

City of Bath: Guilford Lot Cooperative Fishing Pier
Town of Brunswick: Brunswick Public Mooring Field Opportunities
City of Calais: Municipal Pier Expansion
Town of Cranberry Isles: Islesford Town Dock Engineering and Design on Little Cranberry Island
Town of Cumberland: Payson Pier Replacement Project
Town of Frenchboro: Frenchboro Waterfront Management Plan
Town of Ogunquit: Replacement of Existing Pedestrian Bridge
City of Portland: East End Beach Non-Motorized Boating Facility
Town of Sedgwick: Benjamin River Harbor Design and Engineering
Town of Wells: Who Owns the Beach? An Access and Ownership Research Project

For additional information about the grant program and this year’s projects, see the press release.

Please contact Matthew Nixon at Matthew.E.Nixon@maine.gov or 207-287-1491 with any questions.

Regional Recreational Boating Survey Released

The Maine Coastal Program, in partnership with the Boston-based science and policy nonprofit Seaplan and the member states of the Northeast Regional Ocean Council, helped fund, review, and publish a survey of the recreational boating industry’s distribution, abundance, and economic impact per state in the Northeast region over the course of the summer of 2012. Read the final report and state summaries for the results. For additional information, please contact Matthew Nixon