Committee reviews Maine Service Fellows funding tied to NOAA resilience grant

The State and Local Government Committee reviewed two initiatives for the Maine Service Fellows program on March 3 that relate to a five‑year National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant secured by the governor’s office.

Staff explained reference #248 increases “all other costs” in the Maine Service Fellows program to align with a five‑year NOAA Resilient Maine coastal adaptation grant; reference #249 aligns allocations with projected revenues from site fees to support staff professional development and outreach.

Bridal Gleichner Hayata, executive director of Volunteer Maine, told the committee the proposals request permission to use grant funding already received and that the program’s testimony had been submitted at the public hearing. “This is basically just asking for permission to use funding that already exists,” she said, and offered to answer members’ questions about the program’s operations and placements.

Committee members had no further questions at the work session and thanked the presenter for attending; staff will include the initiatives in the committee’s report‑back for the AFA review.