L.D. 722, Resolve To Study the Establishment of the Maine Climate Corps, directed Volunteer Maine (the Maine Commission for Community Service) to study three aspects of creating a Maine Climate Corps:
- how best to structure the program,
- what existing service programs might serve as the foundation, and
- what public and private partnerships could be created to accomplish the program goals.
The study used structured interviews of climate experts, researchers, corps leaders in other states, state agency climate program leaders, and community representatives. Using a rating rubric, ten areas of impact were identified as: 1) contributing to the goals of Maine Won’t Wait: the Four-Year Climate Action Plan; 2) priorities for action that would have broad, near-term impact on climate related issues; and 3) at the point of shovel-ready implementation so that a corps could devote significant time and effort to the work.