top of page
Agriculture 

High Tunnels and Greenhouses: A Guide for Municipalities bulletin. 

Provides a basic understanding of the utility of high tunnels, vocabulary and definitions, resources for building tunnels and municipal action.

Roadmap for PFAS Support

Resource document for farmers navigating questions around PFAS, available testing resources, and financial assistance pathways.

Community Engagement and Education

Communications 101

Maine Climate Table guide for communicating effectively about climate change in Maine.

Communicating with Mainers on Climate Change

Research-based recommendations designed to help climate change advocates in Maine more effectively promote their goals and priorities.

How Public Agencies Can Address Public Input Fatigue

Blog post from the People's Climate Innovation Center centered on best practices for equitable community engagement.

Project Drawdown Climate Solutions

Climate science education and actionable, science-based climate change solutions.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Facilitation Publications

Bulletin #6101, Facilitation — What is it?

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Facilitation Publications

Bulletin #6105, Thinking Together: Making Better Decisions in Groups

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Facilitation Publications

Bulletin #6107, Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives…Oh My!

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Facilitation Publications

Bulletin #6108, Organizational Structure: What’s Right for Your Group?

Climate Action Planning

Guides & Frameworks

Community-Driven Resilience Planning 

Framework for developing a community-driven climate action plan designed for, and for working with, communities on the frontlines of climate change.

ICLEI Climate Action Planning Guide

Guide for conducting a city-level, multi-stakeholder climate action planning process.

Maine Community Resilience Workbook

Framework and how-to guide for climate change assessment and action in Maine.

Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission Vulnerability Assessment Framework

Framework for evaluating hazards of climate hazards to the built, social, and natural environment; public health; and the economy.

Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission Green House Gas Inventory Protocol

Standardized GHG inventory protocol designed for southern Maine communities, but applicable for other Maine regions. 

Tribal Climate Adaptation Guidebook

Guide and framework for climate change adaptation planning in the context of existing tribal priorities, using Traditional Knowledges (TKs), existing resources, and tribal adaptation examples.

Implementing the Steps to Resilience

Procedural guide for each phase of the US Climate Resilience Toolkit: Steps to Resilience.

US Climate Resilience Toolkit

Online, geographically specific climate planning tools, resources, and case studies.

EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool

Tool for conducting municipal and community greenhouse gas inventories.

ICLEI Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool

Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs) can conduct greenhouse gas inventories using ClearPath, ICLEI’s emissions software. Communities can also become ICLEI members to receive direct  support. 

Climate Action Plans

Vulnerability Assessments

Vulnerability Assessments

Greenhouse Gas Inventories

Arrowsic See page 91

Community Climate Action Planning Websites and Dashboards

Comprehensive Planning

Guidance

Municipal Climate Adaptation Guidance Series: Comprehensive Planning

Guidance document to help communities integrate climate change strategies into comprehensive plans.

Regional Planning Organizations

Region 1 Communities can turn to their Regional Planning Organizations to request support with Comprehensive Plan development and integrating climate and resilience actions into their plans.

Community Examples of Climate-Informed Comp Plans

Data Sources

Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission Data Hub

Local, state, and federal data resources for planning

Maine Climate Impact Dashboard

Story Maps summarizing the current and potential future impacts of climate change in Maine.

The Nature Conservancy Maine Mapping Portal 

Includes a Culvert Flood Risk Explorer , Aquatic Barrier Prioritization, Coastal Risk Explorer, and

Future Habitat Explorer 

Beginning with Habitat

Beginning with Habitat (BwH) helps Maine municipalities, landowners, and land trusts build habitat conservation into their long-term plans.

Energy

Homeowner’s Inflation Reduction Act Savings Calculator 

Calculate savings from energy tax credits and rebates.

Mainers' Guide to Climate Incentives 

Guide from the Maine Climate Council outlines current rebates and tax credits for climate plan-aligned investments such as high-efficiency heat pumps, electric vehicles, renewable energy, and more.

Homeowner’s Guide to Solar Energy

Guide from A Climate to Thrive (ACTT) provides homeowners with important information to help critically evaluate options for going solar.

Business Owner’s Guide to Solar Energy

Guide from ACTT focused on businesses located on Mt. Desert Island but also applicable to businesses throughout Maine. Provides business owners with important information to help critically evaluate options for going solar.

Nonprofit Guide to Solar Energy

Guide from A Climate to Thrive (ACTT) focused on nonprofits. Guide provides nonprofits with information to help evaluate options for transitioning to solar energy.

Solar Development

Guidance for municipalities regarding the legal landscape for planning and regulating the development of large-scale solar arrays.

Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap 

Outlines strategies for Maine to benefit from offshore wind, while preserving Gulf of Maine communities, fisheries, and wildlife.

Equity

Centering Equity in Climate Resilience Planning and Action

Principles and best practices for centering equity in climate resilience planning and action.

Maine Climate Council Equity Subcommittee Recommendations 

Recommendations for ensuring all Mainers can benefit from the state’s climate action plan.

Adaptation Clearinghouse – Adaptation Equity Portal

Equitable climate adaptation resources.

R1CC Equity Framework

Guidance and resources for Region 1 communities.

Community Resilience Partnership Equitable Engagement Webinar

View the presentation slides from the webinar here

Funding Guides

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Webinar Series

Funding and program opportunities for Maine communities. Topics include: Broadband & Technology, Transportation, Energy Programs & Building Efficiency, Resilience & Environmental Protection.

Inflation Reduction Act Guidebook for Municipal Leaders

Details the major programs that fund local government directly, community-based organizations, state administered programs, as well as the consumer and business tax credits.

Funding and Financing Coastal Resilience 

NOAA Office for Coastal Management online pre-recorded four-part workshop series to help build foundational knowledge about funding and financing approaches used to support coastal resilience activities.

Demystifying the Language of Climate Resilience Financing 

Guide clarifying key financial terms and industry jargon with simple definitions and real- life examples.

Funding Nature Based Solutions Website

Federal funding sources for infrastructure projects that incorporate natural elements.

Ocean Climate Funding for Coastal Cities

Guidebook for navigating federal funding opportunities for coastal resilience, including disaster risk reduction, climate-ready infrastructure, coastal ecosystems, and the blue economy and workforce

Land Use and Waterfront Planning

The Planning for Ag Toolbox

Land use planning tools and resources to help communities make farm viability and farmland protection an integral part of land use planning.

GrowSmart Maine Community Guide: Historic Preservation - An Economic Opportunity

Learn how historic preservation supports economic opportunities.

Working Waterfront Inventory Template

Tool for collecting baseline data on working waterfront locations, infrastructure, and the local economic impact of fisheries and aquaculture.

Learning Center 

Building Stronger Communities Online Learning Series

Recordings of learning opportunities designed for communities enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership.

NOAA Educational Resources

Science-based learning by topic area.

Nature-based Solutions

Living Shorelines Engineering Guidelines

Guidance for engineers and regulators on the engineering components involved in the design of living shorelines projects.

Nature-Based Solutions Resource Guide

Examples of nature-based solutions projects in the U.S and abroad, as well as a comprehensive list of resources and technical assistance.

Green Infrastructure Effectiveness Database

The database contains records from a wide range of sources including peer-reviewed journals, online tools, and gray literature, and provides information on 32 different coastal green infrastructure types.

Community Intertidal Data Portal 

A tool developed to collect intertidal data for Casco Bay.

Beginning with Habitat

Beginning with Habitat (BwH) helps Maine municipalities, landowners, and land trusts build habitat conservation into their long-term plans.

Beach and Dune Best Management Practices

A publication of best practices by Maine Geological Survey.

Living Shorelines Engineering Guidelines

Guidance for engineers and regulators on the engineering components involved in the design of living shorelines projects.

Cape Cod Coastal Planner

The Cape Cod Coastal Planner is an online, GIS-based educational tool intended to facilitate conversations and support community decision making around coastal resiliency issues.

Regional Planning Services 

Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (SMPDC) 

For communities in York and southern Oxford Counties

Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG)

For communities in Cumberland County

Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission (LCRPC)

For communities in Lincoln County

Midcoast Council of Governments (MCOG)

For communities in Sagadahoc and Knox Counties

Sea Level Rise

NOAA Application Guide for the 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report

Guide to assist coastal decision-makers and coastal professionals with applying and integrating the information from NOAA 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report into decisions.

Cape Cod Coastal Planner

The Cape Cod Coastal Planner is an online, GIS-based educational tool intended to facilitate conversations and support community decision making around coastal resiliency issues.

Maine Geological Survey Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge Mapping Tool

Online tools enables the visualization of various sea level rise and storm surge scenarios. 

Maine Climate Science Dashboard

These dashboards show land temperatures, ocean surface temperatures, and sea levels over time.

Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI)

Various tools and programs to help communities prepare for sea level rise.

Island Institute Sea Level Rise Resources for Coastal Communities 

Programs and funding to help communities prepare for sea level rise.

Social Vulnerability

Maine Social Vulnerability Index (MSVI)

Tool based on 17 socioeconomic and demographic indicators taken from US Census data designed to inform planning processes, allocation of resources, and policy and program development by bringing the elements of social vulnerability into decison-making.

TNC's Maine Coastal Risk Explorer

Online mapping tool to help communities explore how rising sea levels will affect roads in coastal cities and towns, see where road networks will be inaccessible to emergency responders, and how that relates to the overall social vulnerability of the community. 

What is Social Vulnerability?

Definitions and resources for understanding social vulnerability. 

Headwaters Economics Neighborhoods at Risk

Generates at-risk reports for towns.

Climate Justice and Economic Screening Tool

Interactive map for identifying overburdened and underserved communities.

EJScreen – EPA's Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool

Online tool that uses environmental and demographic socioeconomic indicators to identify environmental justice communities.

Tracking and Assessment

CAROT Resilience Assessment Tool

The Climate Adaptation & Resilience Outcomes Tool (CAROT) (UMaine SharePoint Excel) provides a set of resilience criteria, outcomes, and metrics.

Transportation

Maine Clean Communities

A government/industry partnership, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered by the Greater Portland Council of Governments working to expand the use of energy-efficient vehicle technologies.

Municipal EV Toolkit

Provides technical guidance on encouraging EV adoption, fleet transitions and infrastructure development and provides decision-makers with up-to-date information on EVs in Maine and EV ready best practices.

Maine Department of Transportation Projects Storymap

Tool for municipalities and the general public – interactive story map of MDOT's three-year Work Plan for statewide infrastructure.

Maine Department of Transportation Assets Priority List

MDOT prioritized projects listed by town.

Drinking Water, Wastewater, Stormwater

Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual

Guide for understanding stormwater impacts and selecting appropriate Best Management Practices (BMPs) to manage stormwater in accordance with the Maine DEP’s Chapter 500 Stormwater Management Rules.

bottom of page