Maine establishes commission on resilience and rebuilding infrastructure

Governor Janet Mills signed an executive order to establish a new commission that will develop the State of Maine’s first plan for long-term infrastructure resilience.

The creation of the commission follows several severe storms, including in December 2023 and January 2024 that caused an estimated $90 million in damage to public infrastructure across the state.

Earlier this month, the governor requested another disaster declaration from President Biden after an April storm caused more than $3.5 million in damage in York and Cumberland counties. It was the eighth disaster declaration requested by Governor Mills over the past two years.

“In recent years Maine has experienced an increased number of storms with greater damaging impacts, and that trend is likely to continue,” said Peter Rogers, director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

“We are grateful to the governor for developing the Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission to aid with the recovery and rebuilding from future severe weather events, and I look forward to serving on the commission.”

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The governor’s Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission is charged with reviewing and evaluating Maine’s response to the recent storms, identifying crucial areas for near-term investment and policy needs, and developing the state’s first long-term infrastructure plan to ensure that Maine is ready for future storms.

The governor signed the executive order at the Stonington Lobster Co-Op, which was heavily damaged during the intense January storms. Stonington and neighboring Deer Isle experienced some of the most significant impacts in Maine from the storms, including extreme flooding that closed and damaged many public roads and storm surge that severely damaged working waterfronts.