Opinion: Maine must be prepared to accommodate ‘climigrants’

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • July 5, 2026

Since the COVID pandemic, Maine has gained nearly 80,000 new residents through in-migration. The state’s report “Why People Move to Maine” views this as a clear benefit: “Attracting population and workforce talent to Maine is a core goal of the state’s 10-year economic development strategy to mitigate the effects of an aging population and projected workforce deficit.” Half of recent arrivals say that climate influenced their relocation decisions and almost one-quarter list climate as an important push-pull influence. Maine’s current trickle of climigrants may become a stream, if not a flood. ~ David Vail, professor of economics emeritus and former director of environmental studies at Bowdoin College