Jan 02, 2026
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FRENCHBORO—A small Maine island is trying to plan for a future with a storm level rise of 1.5 feet by 2050 and 3.9 feet by 2100 from 2000 levels.
Frenchboro is roughly seven or eight miles offshore from Mount Desert Island on Long Island, which is two miles southeast of Swan’s Island. Most of the village is along Lunt Harbor and much of the island is in the Frenchboro Preserve, created by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust with assistance from the Island Institute and Maine Seacoast Mission.
The island and its community is likely to be impacted by warming ocean temperatures and predicted sea level rise, according to its new draft resiliency plan.
“Sea level rise and storm surge are already affecting roads and critical infrastructure in Frenchboro,” according to the draft plan. “A major storm in January 2024 caused significant damage to Frenchboro’s waterfront infrastructure, battering docks and wharves and dislodging pilings and damaging lobster gear.”
The town of Frenchboro has released its draft community resilience plan, a 39-page document meant to show the town’s ability “to respond and adapt to current and future environmental, economic, demographic and social challenges,” according to an email from Lauren Jennings, on behalf of the Frenchboro Municipal Advisory Council.
With 1.5 feet of seal level rise, there will be regular erosion and flooding along the West Shore Road, all the wharves and piers except Davis Wharf and the Ferry Wharf will be inundated. Portions of the East Shore Road, Gooseberry Point Road, and West Shore Road will flood often.
There will be “increased erosion at beaches and trails throughout the island. During storm surge the Outer Long Island Congregational Church may experience some inundation.”
It’s the same as what currently happens during a Category 1 hurricane with 74-95 mph winds.
At 3.9 feet of rise, the 2100 scenario, it’s worse.
All the island’s wharves and piers will be inundated by water. More of the East Shore Road (200 feet), West Shore Road (500 feet) at the head of the harbor and 1000 feet of Gooseberry Point Road will be inundated.
It will cause a “major disruption of harbor operations and access, including access to the ferry and town dock; substantial erosion at Yellow Head, Eastern Beach, Gooseberry Point, beaches on the South-western end (Little, Middle, Big), the causeway between Eastern and Western Cove, the cove at the end of Salt Ponds Way, and sections of the island’s trail system,” according to the plan.
These impacts are similar to a Category 2 hurricane with 96-110 mph winds.
“These impacts pose serious risks to emergency response, daily mobility, recreational activity, and the working waterfront. Infrastructure built decades ago was not designed for current or projected water levels, requiring proactive planning and investments in elevation, protection, and access improvements,” the plan writes.
Frenchboro is not alone.
According to the Natural Resources Council of Maine after detailed mapping using satellite images, “We found at least 20 high risk cities and towns that stand to lose 20-30% of their land area, their municipal infrastructure, miles of highways, and millions of dollars of property.”
The organization estimates that 5% of the Cranberry Isles will be impacted by a 1-meter sea level increase or 99 acres; a 6-meter sea level increase would impact 618 acres or 31% of that island.
In the town of Tremont on Mount Desert Island (population approximately 1,530), a 1-meter sea level increase would impact 4% of the town or 371 acres. A a 6-meter sea level increase would impact 1,556 acres (14% of the town), 8 miles of road, and the current Tremont Vol. Fire Dept., and the Tremont Consolidated School.
Tremont has worked with A Climate to Thrive to craft a resilience plan, which was adopted in May 2024 and is being implemented currently.
THE FRENCHBORO PLAN
According to Frenchboro’s draft plan, the Maine Climate Council (MCC)’s climate action plan “Maine Won’t Wait” advises Maine towns prepare for anticipated changes in Sea Level Rise (SLR) by:
- “Commit to manage an intermediate SLR scenario of 1.5 feet by 2050 and 3.9 feet by 2100 (from a baseline year of 2000).
- “Prepare to manage for a high SLR scenario of 3.0 feet by 2050 and 8.8 feet by 2100, depending on the risk tolerance of different kinds of infrastructure.”
Key issues include the public infrastructure and services, the economy which is mostly focused on the lobster industry, population and culture and decline in year-round fishing families, community health and emergency services, and natural resources.
According to the state’s climate plan, “Regional climate fluctuations reduced county level fishing employment in New England by an average of 16% between 1996 and 2017.”
There are almost 30,000 Mainers working in the $637 million commercial fishing industry.
Goals include strengthening the infrastructure to handle potential environmental impacts and decrease vulnerability to flooding and storm surge.
Another goal is to support year-round residents and the working waterfront and fishing sectors. A third goal is to try to find more transportation access beyond the current limited ferry service, which runs three or four days a week.
Expanding educational opportunities for family, using the school building, and increasing access to affordable and resilient housing are other goals as is improving emergency preparedness and community safety.
The draft plan also prioritizes projects. Some, such as repairing the Harbor Road, replacing the town generator and emergency shelter, are already underway.
“Importantly, transportation to and from the mainland is limited with private boats being a main source of transportation. State ferry service which allows transportation of vehicles is available three days a week with only one trip on those days. Two days per month there is state ferry service which permits a resident to leave and return to the island with a vehicle in the same day. From April through November there is a passenger-only boat ferry service which has morning and evening service.
“The island has a long fishing heritage, with lobstering still driving the island’s economy, supplemented by mainland work during the off-season. Tourism is minimal, and with about 80% of the land owned by conservation groups such as Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT), there is little room for new development. Frenchboro’s preserved lands, working waterfront, and tight-knit community make it a treasured place for both year-round and seasonal residents.
“Accelerating environmental changes—such as sea level rise, stronger storms, shoreline erosion, and shifting marine ecosystems—are putting pressure on the island’s natural and economic foundations. These environmental stressors are compounded by additional challenges, including aging infrastructure, limited housing, reduced ferry service, and the rising cost of living and lobstering. Together, they threaten the very qualities that define Frenchboro and the long-term sustainability of island life,” the plan reads.
The Musson Group has been working as the town’s resilience coordinator. The town received a community resilience partnership grant.
“The process has included the circulation of a questionnaire, sharing of information gathered from respondents, a community meeting, follow-up interviews and now a draft Community Resilience Plan summarizing key issues identified in the process, and proposed action items aimed at proactively strengthening our community,” Jennings wrote.
There will be a Zoom information session on Tuesday, January 8, at 5:30 p.m. to answer questions about the plan.
“As well, we will outline the process by which we invite written input from community members on the plan over the coming three months. In the early spring (date TBD) we will be holding an in-person community meeting to delve into the substance of the plan, taking into account commentary received over the winter months,” Jennings wrote.
The goal is to create a resilient future for the island town and community, she said.
“In this regard, the work of the planning board under its Coastal Community Project grant, which is providing mapping that shows the impact of rising sea levels on our shoreline among many other relevant map layers, relevant land use ordinance provisions and related resilience recommendations, will also figure importantly in this envisioning process,” Jennings said. “The Municipal Advisory Council and the Planning Board will work together to integrate the research, recommendations and community input obtained through work made possible through their respective grants in the community visioning and planning process going forward.”
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
You can find the Tremont Community Resilience Plan online here.
The National Resource Council of Maine is here.
The Musson Group is here.
To read the draft plan, the PDF is below.
Resiliency Plan For Input 12
3.34MB ∙ PDF file
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