We have many things to be grateful for here in Maine, including access to clean air and water and a livable climate. However, without our continued efforts to limit the effects of climate change, the natural resources we’ve come to cherish may become relics of the past.

That’s why I introduced legislation to establish the Maine Climate Corps, which received a unanimous committee vote and was signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills. This landmark legislation has greatly enhanced our state’s ability to address a wide array of challenges through a climate-focused lens, including transportation, energy, housing and land and freshwater preservation, among others. I worked with Volunteer Maine to structure the corps with enough flexibility and breadth to work on climate mitigation issues along with climate resiliency, which is needed now more than ever as communities recover from the recent devastating storms and flooding.

Alarmingly, this program and the Maine Service Fellows program are set to run out of funding this year, cutting off support for the Climate Corps coordinator position that connects programs with federal opportunities. As a Legislature, we cannot allow that to happen.

We have already seen the Maine Climate Corps accomplish a lot with minimal funds.

Last year, the Maine Climate Corps connected volunteer programs to more than $2 million in federal funding for much-needed climate initiatives in communities across the state. This was done with an initial investment of only $230,000 in 2022.

Our first state-funded Climate Corps program, the Downeast Community Partner Climate Corps, ends this month. These members have conducted outreach events in communities across Downeast Maine. They’ve developed a model and analyzed energy efficiency for homes in Justice40 communities, a Biden Administration initiative designed to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by under-investment and overburdened by pollution.

Without a Maine Climate Corps coordinator position, it will be difficult for Volunteer Maine to lead outreach and technical assistance. Further, a lack of funding will disrupt coordination with state and federal agencies, hindering the program’s ability to meet the goals of Maine Won’t Wait, the state’s Climate Action Plan. This is particularly important in light of the recent announcement of President Biden’s American Climate Corps, which will hopefully be a safe source of future funding for the Maine Climate Corps. Volunteer Maine has offered to move internal funds to meet this current deficit, but still needs $23,000 to keep the position in 2025. Failure by the Legislature to fund the position will not only hurt the Maine Climate Corps, but will profoundly impact our rural communities.

Right now, I am working to pass one-time funding to extend the Maine Climate Corps coordinator position into 2025 and secure an additional $700,000 for 90 high school students interested in pursuing the Maine Climate Corps. With this one-time funding, we would have the opportunity to support these young Mainers in cultivating their interest in land and freshwater preservation, the energy sector, home efficiency, climate education and more in communities across the state.

Without funding, the program will not be able to continue engaging young people, which is vital to effective long-term solutions. Climate Corps service work gives them an opportunity to build their resumes in climate-centered work while providing them with a stipend to compensate for their efforts. Funding for this program would be especially important to young Mainers from low-income backgrounds who would otherwise have to prioritize a part-time job over unpaid work. The Maine Climate Corps not only diversifies our climate-focused communities, but also gives our young people necessary skills for a changing world.

It is imperative that the Legislature funds the Maine Climate Corps at $700,000 to sustain this program and our efforts to address climate change. For the sake of our state’s future, we can’t afford not to.

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