PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 16, 2025
Facing delays in receiving federal funds, the Maine State Preservation Commission has canceled more than half a dozen grants in an attempt to avoid laying off nearly half its staff. The terminations included about $145,000 worth of grants to nonprofits and municipalities, which were canceled last week. Developers and preservation advocates say that a potential loss of funding and personnel would be devastating to historic rehabilitation projects that rely on the commission to secure major tax credits. In recent years, the state office has received about $870,000 annually from the federal government, which is distributed by the National Park Service. The National Park Service has been subject to widespread staffing cuts.