Kennebunk and Kennebunkport will apply for a grant to fund research into coastal resiliency. Dan King photo

The Kennebunk Select Board voted unanimously last week to support a grant application that would allow the town to assess the Kennebunk River ecosystem for coastal flood risk and water quality conditions.

The Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission will apply for the grant from the Broad Reach Fund and Builders Initiative “Funding for Maine Coastal and Marine Climate Action” effort.

In a letter signed by both Kennebunk and Kennebunkport officials, Kennebunk Town Manager Heather Balser said the project is a priority for both towns.

“It will provide vital baseline information needed for evaluating future action to increase the resilience of the tidal river and adjacent area,” Balser wrote.

Following several intense winter storms last winter, numerous planning studies identified the Kennebunk River system and adjacent areas such as Dock Square and Lower Village as top priorities for addressing flood vulnerabilities.

The towns have both been active in climate change efforts, enacting climate plans that would address flooding issues caused by major winter storms.

In June, the town of Kennebunkport began its first project to increase resiliency in the town, raising a 450-foot section of causeway on Pier Road to limit damages created by sea level rise.

Last month, the town of Kennebunk offered free “lobster trap” compost bins to residents as part of an effort to reduce the amount of food waste entering the waste stream.

Kennebunk Select Board member Lisa Pratt said the towns are working together on the issue of climate change.

“We’re not competing with each other,” Pratt said. “It makes us a stronger candidate to have both towns apply together.”

If selected, the towns could receive up to $200,000 in grant money to fund the research project.

The goal of the project, Balser wrote, is to improve understanding of current conditions, vulnerabilities, and future impacts to the river area from coastal flooding caused by precipitation, storm surge, and sea level rise.

It will also provide baseline data about existing conditions necessary for monitoring and evaluating climate and other human-caused impacts to the health of the river system, as well as the beaches and marine environment near the mouth of the river.

“This project is a necessary step toward better preparing the River’s natural, built, and social systems for climate change,” Balser wrote.

Throughout the project, the town will put an emphasis on public engagement, Balser said.

If awarded the grant, the project would take approximately 18 months to complete.