Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund

The Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund (MIAF) is a state-administered grant program that provides one-time funding to municipalities, tribal governments, and other eligible public entities to upgrade and climate-proof critical infrastructure. Designed to reduce vulnerability to flooding, storm damage, coastal hazards, and other climate-related threats, the program is administered by the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) and focuses on projects that move communities from planning to on-the-ground implementation. By investing in road, wastewater, and stormwater improvements before disaster strikes, the MIAF aims to safeguard essential services and protect public health in the face of intensifying climate impacts.

The program was first conceived in Maine Won’t Wait, the state’s comprehensive climate action plan, which identified proactive resilience funding as a core need for both rural and urban communities. Governor Janet Mills announced the creation of the fund in December 2021 as part of a broader package of climate resilience and recovery initiatives, following an award of $4.5 billion of federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. MaineDOT was tasked with managing the fund, building on its experience administering other state and federal infrastructure grant programs. The first award round, launched in 2022, distributed approximately $20 million to a dozen municipal projects, setting the tone for an ambitious approach to state-level adaptation investment. Funding has continued in subsequent years, with a 2024 round delivering $1.4 million to 19 communities for post-storm recovery and risk reduction measures.

Eligible projects include the replacement or upsizing of culverts and stream crossings, raising or protecting roadways and bridges, relocating or floodproofing wastewater treatment facilities, and enhancing stormwater management systems. Award amounts range from several hundred thousand dollars to multi-million-dollar investments, depending on the scale and urgency of the project. Many grantees have paired MIAF awards with federal sources such as FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program or the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, maximizing the impact of limited state dollars.

Although originally established as one-time funding by the Maine Legislature (S.P. 577 - L.D. 1733) in an act to distribute federal funds, the Maine Adaptation Infrastructure Fund has since received an influx of State funding. In 2024, the Legislature allocated $60 million via the supplemental budget for storm relief.

As the impacts of climate change accelerate, the MIAF stands as both a practical tool for immediate risk reduction and a blueprint for building long-term infrastructure resilience in Maine.

 

Publication Date: 2021

Related Organizations:

  • Maine Department of Transportation
  • State of Maine

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  • Funding program

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