Blue Hill Peninsula Forward Monthly Meetings

Blue Hill Peninsula Forward has been hosting meetings via Zoom on the third Friday of each month from 9:00 to 10:00 am. since 2021.  

Invitations to the monthly meetings are distributed to a diverse group of 100 municipal appointed and elected officials, members of the Congressional Delegation, State Legislators, staff from the regional planning commission, community leaders and many others.  

Meeting are open to all who wish to attend. Those wishing to be added to the mailing list may contact Allen Kratz: allenwkratz@gmail.com.

Below is a list of the presenters and topics provided from June 2025 to date:

June 2025

  • Senator Angus King – Continuing Resolutions and Impacts on Climate and Energy related Programs

  • Anne Fuchs, Director of Hazard Mitigation & Recovery, Maine Emergency Management Agency – MEMA Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund

  • Jim Fisher, Deer Isle Town Manager; Kathleen Billings, Stonington Town Manager; Linda Nelson, Stonington Economic Development Director and Co-Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience; Janna Richards, Regional Climate Coordinator, Hancock County Planning Commission; and Bill Zoelick, Gouldsboro Shore -- Funding Community Resilience

  • Seth Hoedl, President and Chief Science Officer of the Post Road Foundation – Maine Transactive Energy Pilot (MTEP)

July 2025

  • Liz Hertz, Blue Sky Planning Solutions – Assessing Social Vulnerability and Building Social Resilience

  • Arianna Porter, SWCA Environmental Consultants – Blue Hill Peninsula Community Wildfire Protection Plan

August 2025

  • Bailey Bowden, Ciona Ulbrich, and Sarah O’Malley -- Briefing on the Multi-Year, Multi-component Plan to Improve Mill Creek Natural Habitat in Penobscot

  • Skye Butterson-Dunn, Brenna Cohen and Phoebe Walsh –Energy Technology Innovation Navigators and National Renewable Energy Lab – US Department of Energy Technical Assistance Program

September 2025

  • Janna Richards, Regional Climate Resilience Coordinator, Hancock County Planning Commission -- Funding through US Economic Development Agency

  • Allen Kratz, Co-Coordinator, Blue Hill Peninsula Forward – Update on Funding for Blue Hill Peninsula Community Wildfire Protection Plan

  • Jesse Minor, Co-Coordinator, Blue Hill Peninsula Forward and Emma Weed, Climate Resilience Coordinator – Social Vulnerability

  • Carol Woodcock of Senator Collins’ Office – Update on Congressionally Designated Spending

October 2025

  • Devin Domeyer, Coastal Resiliency Specialist, Maine Office of Community Affairs – Nature-based Solutions for Shoreland Erosion

  • Liz Hertz, Consultant Blue Sky Consulting, and Emma Weed, Climate Resilience Coordinator – Update on Social Vulnerability Assessment Project

  • Janna Richards, Regional Climate Resilience Coordinator -- Report on US EDA FY25 Supplemental Disaster Grant Opportunity

  • Greg Piduch, Planner, Hancock County Planning Commission -- Report on Hancock County Planning Commission Work on Housing Issues

November 2025

  • Carol Woodcock, of Senator Collins’ office; Christina Breen, of Senator King’s office, and Zach Schmesser, of Representative Golden’s office -- updates on Congressionally Directed Spending

  • Courtney Weaver – 5th Grade Teacher at the Surry Elementary School -- The GLOW (Global Learning for an Open World) Conference

  • Jamie Hark and Finn Bondeson of Acorn Engineering -- Embracing Hybridity for Complex Coastal Properties

  • Emma Weed, Climate Resilience Coordinator – Update on Social Vulnerability Projectand Visit to the Center for an Ecology Based Economy in Norway

December 2025

  • Glenn Cummings, Director of Maine’s Green Schools Initiative, and Teddy Lyman, Climate Education Specialist, Maine Department of Education Office of Innovation – Maine Green Schools Program and Climate Literacy

  • Amber Blum, Community Development Officer, Island Institute – Community Clean Energy Grant Program 

  • Christina Breen, of Senator King’s office – Update on Congressional Appropriations

  • Allen Kratz, Co-Coordinator and President of Blue Hill Peninsula Forward Board of Directors -- Incorporation of Blue Hill Peninsula Forward

January 2026

  • Greg Piduch, Regional Planner and Olivia Jolley, Co-Regional Planner, Hancock County Planning Commission – Housing Projects in Hancock County

  • Pam Dewell, Executive Director, Island Workforce Housing – Housing Projects in Deer Isle/Stonington

  • Allen Kratz, Co-Coordinator, Blue Hill Peninsula Forward -- Congressional Earmarks FY26 Projects and Strategizing for FY27

  • Doug Cowan – Update on Funding for Purchase of the Friendship Cottage

February 2026

  • Josh Caldwell, Climate & Clean Energy Advocate, Natural Resources Council of Maine – Maine’s Environmental Issues in the 2026 Legislative Session

  • Doug Cowan – Update on funding for the Friendship Cottage

  • Emma Weed, Climate Resilience Coordinator – Updates on projects on behalf of 9 communities on the Blue Hill Peninsula

  • Adam Lachman, office of Senator King – Update on Congressionally Directed Spending

  • Allen Kratz, Co-Coordinator, Blue Hill Peninsula Forward -- Current and Imminent State Funding for Climate Resilience Working Waterfront Projects

  • Jesse Minor, Member, Blue Hill Peninsula Forward Board of Directors -- Update on Blue Hill Peninsula Forward

March 2026

  • Emma Weed, Climate Resilience Coordinator – Update on Social Vulnerability Assessment

  • Allen Kratz, Co-Coordinator, Blue Hill Peninsula Forward – Funding for Community Projects through Congressionally Directed Spending

  • Arianna Porter, Consultant, SWCA – Blue Hill Peninsula Community Wildfire Protection Plan

April 2026

  • Bryan Emerson, Mitigation Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy – Maine Natural Resources Conservation Program

  • Mike Kersula, Steward, Maine Coast Heritage Trust – Lessons Learned from Shaded Fuel Break in Witherlie Woods in Castine

  • Doug Hylan, Brooklin Climate Response Team – Energy Coaching Program

May 2026

  • Rebecca Boulous, Executive Director, Maine Public Health Association, and Co-Chair Maine Climate Council Resilient Communities Working Group – Building Healthier, More Resilient Communities

  • Marina Tomer, Maine Office of Community Affairs – Preview of June 10 Stronger Communities Summit

  • Allen Kratz -- Blue Hill Peninsula Wildfire Protection Plan Field Days

June 2026

  • Amy Eshoo, Maine Climate Action Now – Plug-in Solar

  • Allen Kratz, Co-Coordinator, Blue Hill Peninsula Forward – Office of Management and Budget's Proposed Rule to Change Federal Funding