WCSH-TV6 • May 1, 2023
A report by one of the country's largest ocean and beach preservation organizations ranked Maine top in the U.S. for the laws and policies that protect those waterways from the effects of climate change. At the end of 2022, the Surfrider Foundation released its sixth annual State of the Beach report. Only 11 states earned a grade of either an ‘A’ or ‘B.’ Each state or territory was graded on a set of 12 criteria: only Maine, Maryland, and California earned an 11 out of 12. "Maine is actually really progressive for planning for climate change, understanding climate change, and developing sea level rise plans," said Stefanie Sekich, the author of the report, and the foundation’s senior manager of the Coast and Climate Initiative. "They're putting their money where their mouth is.”