Sen. Duson celebrates Community Action Grants awarded to Portland area

Posted: May 07, 2025 | Senator Duson

Senate Assistant Majority Leader Jill C. Duson, D-Portland, today announced that communities in Senate District 27 have received a Community Action Grant from the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future to help Portland and Westbrook prepare for future natural disasters by assessing asset vulnerabilities and develop a plan and tools to mitigate loss risk.

The city of Portland, in collaboration with South Portland, has received a grant award in the amount of $180,000 to continue progress on the cities’ joint “One Climate Future” plan.

Additionally, the Greater Portland Council of Government was awarded $50,000 to do a Community Vulnerability Assessment of several towns in the greater-Portland area, including the city of Westbrook.

Sen. Jill Duson

“The seasonal storms we have experienced recently have been a real wake up call to the looming threats of a warming planet and how that affects our Maine way of life. We saw the treasured fishing shacks get swept away by ferocious waves and the rising tides brought our harbor onto Commercial Street, causing severe destruction to homes and our nationally recognized hospitality industry,” said Sen. Duson. “Portland and Westbrook are now able to get ahead of the next big storm by creating plans to protect people and property. I am proud to have supported the funding for these grants and commend our local leaders for securing these funds.”

This round of grant awards is partially funded by last year’s supplemental budget, supported by Sen. Duson and signed by Governor Mills in April 2024. This investment follows the devastating storms in December 2023 and January 2024 that caused an unprecedented estimated $90 million in damage to public infrastructure in Maine.

These grants are also partially funded by a federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and $3 million authorized by the Legislature in 2023 to support grants to eligible communities and to regional service providers that work to help communities join the Partnership.

For a full list of grant awardees, click here.

Sen. Duson is serving her second term in the Maine Senate and represents Senate District 27, which includes part of Westbrook and part of Portland. She also serves as the Senate Assistant Majority Leader.