The final draft Tremont’s Community Resilience Plan was completed in March 2024, and unanimously recommended by the Select Board for adoption at Town Meeting.
In 2021, in response to citizen efforts, Tremont passed a climate resolution, recognizing its status as one of 20 towns in Maine that will be most impacted by the effects of climate change, including sea level rise, increased storm activity, impacts to domestic water sources, and impacts to the fishing industry. The resolution celebrated the activities Tremont has already taken to mitigate climate change and build community resilience while also calling upon the town to complete specific steps to shape a more vibrant future. Recognizing that a more strategic and coordinated approach would be key to navigating the challenges ahead, as part of the town’s membership in the Community Resilience Partnership, Tremont applied for and received a grant in September 2022, which fully funded the development of a Community Resilience Plan grounded in community feedback.
A draft of the plan was completed in 2023, informed by over 200 comments collected from residents at listening sessions, through surveys, tabling at community events, and more, as well as by a Vulnerability Assessment conducted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. The final plan will go to Town Meeting in May 2024 with the Select Board’s unanimous recommendation.
The results of the Vulnerability Assessment and how they helped guide the creation of this plan were shared with the community by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute on January 23rd, 2023, at a hybrid event at the Bass Harbor Memorial Library and on Zoom. A recording is available to view here:
Join us for a community supper to learn about Tremont’s Community Resilience Plan!
On May 1st at 6pm at the Tremont Consolidated School, enjoy a free meal with neighbors and hear from the Sustainability Committee and Tremont Consolidated School students on the vulnerabilities and values addressed by the Tremont Community Resilience Plan. Discuss coastal flooding, the working waterfront, energy cost and reliability, economic opportunities, and more, and ask any questions you may have about the Plan before it goes to Town Meeting in May.
Sign up to be notified about more ways to get involved:
Tremont’s Community Resilience Plan will be a flexible, practical roadmap that is designed to:
Reduce cost and maximize access to funding opportunities by allowing the town to plan around the availability of grants and other support from the state and federal government;
Establish a strategic and coordinated approach to dealing with pressing concerns that allows the town to be proactive and lightens the load on town staff;
Focus specifically on climate-related resilience, integrate with the comprehensive plan and provide a path to collaborative planning with other coastal towns;
Support the town in energy plans that are maximally beneficial to residents and driven by their goals;
Support Tremont residents in access to opportunities related to climate resilience.
A summary of the plan is available below:
Planning Process and Pathways for Input
In order for Tremont’s Community Resilience Plan to be effective, it is critical that its contents, direction, and strategy are driven by resident input. A dynamic, practically useful plan will center on community members’ priorities, concerns, and hopes for the town’s future. This will allow the plan to prioritize solutions that are relevant to residents’ daily lives and connect the town to pivotal resources for ensuring a thriving future.
Upcoming opportunities to provide feedback include:
Two virtual options, open any time:
A virtual bulletin board, through which you can share quick thoughts and interact with others’ ideas and comments (you can find instructions on how to use the bulletin board at the bottom of this webpage). If you are having difficulties using the virtual bulletin board, email brianna@aclimatetothrive.org.
A survey, useful for providing more in-depth answers.
Climate Resilience Coffee Hours, every last Tuesday of the month from 4-6 pm at the Bass Harbor Memorial Library. This is a great time to share more in-depth feedback or ask questions. If this timing doesn’t work for you, reach out to brianna@aclimatetothrive.org and we can set up an alternate time to connect.
Plan Workshop: a focused deep dive on plan contents in late February where residents can provide feedback on specific strategies
Resilient Tremont: a community gathering where community members can learn about the plan, its contents, and how it can serve the town, while enjoying a potluck meal, music, and activities for kids, in early May
If you would like to have a one-on-one conversation or would like to connect us with a specific community member who brings a critical perspective, please reach out.
A Climate to Thrive’s Support for the Process
The Community Resilience Partnership (funded through the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future) was created to help Maine communities reduce emissions and prepare for the effects of climate change. Tremont joined the partnership in 2022 and successfully applied for grant funds in September to fund the creation of a Community Resilience Plan.
Recognizing the heavy workload already borne by town staff, A Climate to Thrive is providing support to the town of Tremont throughout this process. ACTT volunteered time to help the town enroll in the Community Resilience Partnership and apply for grant funding. ACTT drafted the Mount Desert Climate Action Plan and has consulted with Bar Harbor throughout their planning process, and, through their work with communities across the state, can offer insights on what has worked well for other communities facing similar challenges to Tremont. Tremont contracted with ACTT to facilitate the resilience planning. Because the planning process is fully funded by grant money from the state, this plan will be created at no extra cost to the town or to taxpayers.
Virtual Bulletin Board Tutorial:
