Maine Policy Review – Amplifying Rural Voices in Maine Climate Planning
is a featured article in Rural Maine, a special edition of the Maine Policy Review. Authors include multiple Mitchell Center faculty, staff and students.
The article is focused on a partnership between 91¸£Àû’s Mitchell Center and the Maine Climate Council to update the state’s “Maine Won’t Wait” plan, prioritizing voices often excluded from policy discussions. By collaborating with 21 community organizations and Wabanaki partners, the team engaged rural, low-income, and frontline communities through 73 local events and a statewide survey. The findings revealed that effective climate action must simultaneously address the cost of living—specifically affordable housing, transit, and heating—to ensure solutions meet residents’ basic needs. These insights now directly shape Maine’s current and future climate policy.
Citation: Brazier, J. Cressica, Sharon J. Klein, Jasmine Lamb, Caroline L. Noblet, Louise Chaplin, Sonia Leone, Catherine Mardosa, David Hart, Linda Silka, and Natalie Michelle. “Amplifying Rural Voices in Maine Climate Planning.” Maine Policy Review 34.2 (2025) : 159 -170, .