STONINGTON, Maine (WABI) – After the state sustained over $90 million in major damage from storms in December and January, Gov. Janet Mills went to Stonington Tuesday to sign an executive order regarding adaptive infrastructure.
The order establishes the Maine Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission. Mills signed it at Stonington Lobster Co-Op, a business that was, like many, severely impacted by the storms.
“Over the next 12 months, this commission will evaluate Maine’s response to the recent storms. It will identify near-term investments and policy needs. It will develop the state’s first long-term infrastructure plan by next May to make sure that we are as ready as we can be for the storms that are inevitable,” explained Gov. Mills. “Commission members are ready to meet with local officials, business owners, and fishermen to learn about the community’s response to the storms and their future needs.”
This executive order coincides with the $60 million in storm recovery funding proposed by the governor and approved by the legislature. Mills called this measure the largest storm investment in Maine history.
Composed of individuals from the Departments of Transportation, Marine Resources, Economic and Community Development among others speaking directly to those affected, Mills hopes the commission can bring an interdisciplinary approach to a multifaceted issue.
“We’re drawing upon the expertise of people in all diverse occupations and backgrounds. It’s not an academic exercise, it’s a real life thing, and we expect to have some real life solutions to these real life problems,” Mills said.
Rep. Holly R. Eaton, who represents District 15 including Deer Isle and Stonington, says the need for the commission is especially critical in island or coastal communities like hers.
“If we can work together to come up with some creative solutions so that as we face more of these kinds of storms, because they are going to happen, we already thought through ‘How do we make sure that we’re protected against further damage? How do we protect our fishing infrastructure, our marine infrastructure, our downtown economies, and those infrastructures?’ So, I think that having this commission will really help,” commented Rep. Eaton.
The commission will report back to Mills in May 2025 with their findings.
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