Sustainability & Resilience

The SMPDC Sustainability and Resilience Division supports regional and local efforts to enhance sustainability, climate preparedness, and community resilience. Four guiding principles direct the Division’s work:

1. Collaboration: We aim to build and strengthen regional connections to create a shared foundation for action, while also honoring the leadership, priorities, and unique needs of individual communities.
2. Credibility: We use the best available assessments, data, and practices to guide our work and provide communities with the tools and information they need to make informed decisions.
3. Adaptability: We remain flexible and responsive, adjusting our approaches as new information emerges, conditions change, and opportunities arise. Our work is built on continuous learning, allowing us to navigate uncertainty and support communities through change.
4. Impact: We aim to see projects through every stage of development, from visioning to execution. By aligning priorities with funding, partnerships, and technical support, we help towns turn climate goals into tangible, lasting outcomes.

The Sustainability and Resilience Division was established in 2019 as the Regional Sustainability and Resilience Pilot Program, when the towns of Kittery, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, Wells, and York sought to create a regional program to support their individual sustainability and coastal resiliency efforts. SMPDC continues to support the Towns of Kittery, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, and Wells with increased individual assistance and intercommunity collaboration. Click here to view our Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2026. 

Explore the pages below to learn more about sustainability and resilience efforts throughout the region.