AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Maine Coastal Program has awarded a $7,239 Shore and Harbor Planning grant to the town of Richmond.

The grant will be used for the planning and design of a pedestrian walkway to connect public access to Richmond’s waterfront. The town will use the funding for engineering and design services along with boundary and legal work to obtain an easement and plan and design a walking path that will link two public access sites along the Kennebec River that serve the community: Richmond Town Waterfront and Swan Island State Boat Launch.

Grants were also awarded to the town of Chebeague Island, which received $20,000 for the assessment of a town-owned coastal parcel called Sunset Landing for its potential future use; and the city of Rockland, which received $15,000 for design and engineering to improve Rockland Public Pier and $10,000 for planning new technology improvements and a dredge survey for Rockland Fish Pier.

This is the ninth round of Shore and Harbor Planning Grant solicitations. Since 2006, 59 grants have been awarded for a total of $766,949.

The grants are made possible by Maine’s federal coastal management award from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The grant program, an important component of the Maine Coastal Program, balances the development and conservation of Maine’s coastal zone by providing technical assistance to coastal municipalities for planning and public access. Each grantee provides a minimum of 25 percent in matching funds or services.

For more information, visit www.maine.gov/dacf/mcp/grants/shore-and-harbor-planning-grants.html.

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