SCARBOROUGH, Maine — On Earth Day, two members of the Biden administration came to Maine to announce federal funding aimed at shoring up coastal resilience projects.
"I know you all are tough folks, but those nor’easters that came through this year were really tough; they were really, really brutal," Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said.
She stood at the edge of the Scarborough Marsh to address a crowd of local leaders and residents and announce $10.5 million in federal grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that would fund projects in York, Cumberland, and Washington Counties, including $1.4 million for the marsh specifically.
"Together, we have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the health and resilience of our coastal ecosystems," NOAA Deputy Administrator Jainey Bavishi added.
Scarborough Marsh is Maine's largest contiguous marsh, and is home to several rare or endangered animal species. Scarborough Land Trust will help control the funding, which will span three years or research and project planning.
"You have a lot of biodiversity," Land Trust Executive Director Andrew Mackie said of the marsh. "You have a lot of life that depends upon it, including some of our commercial shellfish and fish resources that will spend their larval and young lives in the marsh."
As climate change causes seas to rise, marshes are a natural barrier against storms, but they need room to migrate. Pete Slovinsky works with the Maine Geological Survey and is a Scarborough native. He said the marsh has nearly reached its limit while performing these essential duties.
"It's a buffer to storm surge that come sup through this area," he explained while walking along the public Eastern Trail that runs through the middle of the marsh. "So, it protects adjacent uplands. It filters water quality, along with all of the tributaries that filter into it."
Standing on a bridge part-way down the trail, one can see houses lining part of the marsh's banks. To the northwest, busy Route 1 cuts through the marsh and crosses the Nonesuch River. Whatever projects are to come will have to balance the needs of nature, storm protection, neighborhoods, and commerce.
"How do we protect people and businesses, as well as natural systems?" posed Hannah Pingree, co-chair of the Maine Climate Council. "And that is what today is all about."
After three years of funded research and planning, Pingree, Mackie, and the other local leadership expects to have specific projects ready to roll.