Introductions:
Charlie Eng from Brandeis, intern with Maine Youth Climate Justice. Mohamed Khalid, Community Organizing Alliance. Rep Morgan Rielly, Kirsten Brewer, staff, Maryalice Crofton, staff, Stacie Haines, Commissioner
Update on Climate Corps RFA
The Climate Corps RFA is open and closes on September 23.
Focus on Energy Efficiency. Three at info session. Probably 2 applications.
Maine Service Fellows Host Site Applications Open
Rural Maine communities may apply to host a Service Fellow who can expand capacity in a wide range of areas from COVID-19 recovery to Climate Action. They must spend at least 20% of their time creating or enhancing volunteer capacity.
Please help us spread the word about this opportunity, applications are due: October 21, 2022
State and privately funded. Requesting host site applications. Will be run by someone out of their office.
Rural: all counties but York, Kennebec, Sagadahoc, and towns under 5,000. Leaves out I-95 coordinator. Person will be embedded in town. Broad way to deal with climate action. Fellow must spend 20% time on creating volunteer systems to sustain the effort. Cost share of towns of $1800.
Morgan: Will pass to HDO. And, Environmental Priorities Coalition (after Friday deadline).
Hoping for 20 Fellow positions through America the Beautiful Grant. Support planning in the Climate/landscape scale conservation and restoration.
Two fully funded now.
October 5th – going to Maine Municipal Association conference in Bangor. (new leader of program is coming from Ending Hunger in Maine VISTA project).
Push to EPC after Friday – grassroots and community driven.
Rep. Rielly, Updates on Legislative Agenda for the Climate Corps in 2023
Two scenarios:
- If gov is re-elected and makeup of legislator is the same, one bill: Act to Fully Fund Climate Corps.
- If that’s not the case: break it down and attach to different bills: i.e. energy related bills, public health, community resilience/emergency preparedness, workforce development.
Revisit this in mid-November.
Fall and Winter AmeriCorps Grant Competitions
Now is the time to build interest and awareness amongst Maine organizations to prepare for late October and mid-winter grant submission dates.
Priority focus areas: Coastal Zone, Emergency Management, Community Resiliency, Lead by Example (weatherizing public buildings), Energy Education/Home Energy Conservation.
For discussion: Lead by Example and Emergency Management/Preparedness.
Pre-meeting, think about 2-5 organizations who could be program sponsors in the areas of Lead By Example (increasing sustainability of public buildings, think solar panels on town offices, reducing energy use in schools, etc) and Emergency Management/Preparedness (creating hazard mitigation plans, educating and conducting outreach to communities, etc).
For discussion: Suitability of these sites for an AmeriCorps program. How could we approach these organizations?
Lead by Example: Sierra Club (Green Sneakers Project), Passivhaus Maine
Emergency Management/Preparedness: Islesboro Islands Trust, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Island Trail Association, Midcoast Conservancy.
These may all be too small to think of hosting 8+ members. Possible pathway through UMaine/cooperative extensions.
Michael Smith, AmeriCorps CEO visit to Maine on Sep 26-27
Opportunity to meet with Michael and share with him our vision for the Climate Corps in Maine and what we need to make this vision a reality.