Sen. Beebe-Center celebrates $869,850 in Community Action Grants awarded to communities in Knox County

Posted: September 18, 2026 | Senator Beebe-Center

The funds awarded will support storm recovery and resilience projects to protect Maine people, businesses and infrastructure.

AUGUSTA — Sen. Pinny Beebe-Center, D-Rockland, is pleased to announce that eight communities in Senate District 12 have been awarded a combined $869,850 in Community Action Grants through the May and September 2026 funding rounds of the Community Resilience Partnership. The Partnership, administered by the Maine Office of Community Affairs, helps Maine communities transition to clean energy and become more resilient to climate effects, including severe storms and flooding.

September awards totaling $475,000

  • Hope — $80,000 for engineering and design work to prepare for improvements to the culvert on Robbins Road.
  • Matinicus Isle Plantation — $80,000 for the second phase of a project to help the island’s working waterfront withstand severe weather and climate impacts.
  • Rockland — $75,000 for professional engineering and project oversight to support the redevelopment of Middle Pier and Buoy Park.
  • Union — $80,000 for engineering and design work to prepare for replacement of the Miller Road Bridge.
  • Vinalhaven — $80,000 to develop a community resilience action plan that will idebtify steps the town can take to prepare for climate impacts.
  • Warren — $80,000 to evaluate locations for municipal solar installations, identify public safety vulnerabilities and establish a plan to keep essential services operating during emergencies.

May awards totaling $394,850

  • North Haven — $80,000 to define the scope of needed wastewater infrastructure work and develop project designs.
  • Rockland — $79,850 for design and planning work to help Snow Marine Park and the Harbor Trail withstand storms and other climate impacts.
  • South Thomaston — $75,000 to expand solar power at the library and community center, supporting its use as a place for residents to access help during emergencies.
  • Union — $80,000 to plan transportation improvements to accommodate people walking, biking and driving in the Village Common area.
  • Warren — $80,000 to plan transportation improvements to accommodate people walking, biking and driving in Warren Village.

“Being prepared for severe weather means making sure people can go where they need to, find a safe place during an outage and count on essential services,” said Sen. Beebe-Center. “These grants will help our communities prepare for those needs while protecting the working waterfronts and public spaces that are such an important part of life here. I’m grateful to the local officials, volunteers and community partners who have put their time and care into planning these projects.”

The most recent round of grant funding, awarded earlier this month, is the second set this year and seventh overall. It will support projects in 72 communities with $4.7 million in total awards. A complete list of awardees is available through the Maine Office of Community Affairs. The previous round, which was announced in May of this year, supported projects in 76 Maine communities with over $5 million awarded. A complete list of those awardees is available here.

Funding for the grants comes from several sources, including measures passed by the Maine Legislature with Sen. Beebe-Center’s support:

  • The Supplemental Budget that was passed by the Legislature in 2024 to increase community resilience and preparedness in the wake of the December 2023 and January 2024 storms;
  • Funds from the biennial budget authorized by the Legislature in 2023; and
  • A federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Sen. Pinny Beebe-Center is serving her second and final term in the Maine Senate, representing the communities of Appleton, Camden, Cushing, Friendship, Hope, Matinicus Isle Plantation, North Haven, Owl’s Head, Rockland, Rockport, South Thomaston, St. George, Thomaston, Union, Vinalhaven and Warren. She is the Senate chair of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee and a member of the State and Local Government committee.

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