During the January 2024 storms, Swan’s Island, like the rest of the Maine coast, had its infrastructure vulnerabilities exposed. Carrying Place Beach, a small isthmus that conjoins two major sections of the island, was flooded during the storm surge events, and crossing the road became perilous. The storms reshaped the beach completely and demolished the dunes and bushes that had previously shielded the road from flooding. Without the natural barrier, North Road is more exposed than ever.
The Swan’s Island community has long acknowledged the importance of Carrying Place Beach—it is a natural attraction and a historical landmark. This small section of land was once important for indigenous populations, as it was a known portage site, a shortcut where they would carry their canoes to the other side of the beach instead of circumnavigating the landmass.
Today, Carrying Place Beach remains a critical asset for transportation. During intense storms, those who live on the northwest portion of Swan’s Island lose access to most of the island’s infrastructure—the school, post-office, island store, ferry, and emergency medical services. Recognizing this vulnerability, the Swan’s Island community collaborated with Island Institute to take action.
Island Institute Fellow Olivia Jolley joined the newly formed Community Resilience Committee (CRC) and brought her extensive grant writing experience and knowledge of community process to the group. CRC partnered with Island Institute to secure funding through the Community Resilience Partnership program for a community vulnerability assessment to fully identify what the winter storms highlighted: areas of infrastructure at risk, and a path toward greater resiliency.
Island Institute staff traveled to Swan’s Island to host a community resilience workshop and helped the community enroll in the Community Resilience Partnership (CRP), a program the Institute facilities on behalf of the Governor’s Office of Policy, Innovation, and the Future. Island Institute helped Swan’s Island form its Community Resilience Committee, which is chaired by Olivia Jolley, former Island Institute Fellow and current executive director of the Swan’s Island Library.
After completing the CRP program Swan’s Island was awarded a Community Action Grant, helping them access tens of thousands of dollars in state funding which will be used to conduct a vulnerability assessment of North Road and Carrying Place Beach, as well as other highly vulnerable Swan’s Island infrastructure.
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