With the country in a recession, all six Vineyard towns yesterday rushed to file applications to receive funding through an ambitious economic recovery plan from President-elect Barack Obama that recalls the late Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal plan of 1932.

The applications were filed under Mr. Obama’s economic stimulus plan called the Recovery and Reinvestment Program, aimed at providing a boost to the economy and creating new jobs. Last week Massachusetts Lieut. Gov. Timothy P. Murray sent a letter to town managers and administrators across the state encouraging them to apply for funding for projects that fall under a wide umbrella of eligibility.

“If we are not prepared with ready-to-go projects, we risk losing this federal money,” the lieutenant governor wrote in part.

The letter encourages town officials to apply for projects that are “shovel-ready,” defined as work that can begin within 180 days and be completed within two years.

The Vineyard sprang into action. The deadline for applications was 2 p.m. yesterday, and around the Island town officials scrambled to prepare their applications. In all, the six Island towns applied for funding for more than 40 different projects ranging from a $20,000 request from Oak Bluffs to redesign the town Web site to a $15 million request from Edgartown to expand and renovate the town library.

It is unclear if the President Obama’s economic stimulus package will be approved, and even if it is approved it remains unclear how much money will go to states and towns. But there is no mistaking his belief in the plan. In a speech yesterday the President-elect pledged to “set a new course” for an ailing American economy. “I don’t believe it’s too late to change course, but it will be if we don’t take dramatic action as soon as possible,” Mr. Obama said. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is an ardent supporter of the economic stimulus plan.

On the Vineyard this week Mark London, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, sent a letter to towns encouraging them to apply for funding for every project that might fit the criteria for eligibility.

Mr. London said he did some basic calculations and figured the program could equate to approximately $1,000 for every American. “By those calculations a town like West Tisbury, for example, could receive between $4 and $5 million,” he said.

Mr. London conceded the guidelines for funding are vague, and that there is no guarantee towns will receive a dime of funding. But he said it is worth a try.

“To put it simply . . . there is no harm in applying for this money. President-elect Obama is serious about this program and our state leaders are equally committed. This should be viewed as tremendous opportunity,” he said.

Aquinnah town administrator Jeff Burgoyne agreed.

“It’s an opportunity for the town to get some projects off the ground and get people back to work,” he said.

Town administrator Michael Dutton said applying for the money is comparable to the old saying about the lottery: you can’t win if you don’t play. “It would be a bit optimistic to think that we would get funding for all these projects . . . but I think this about optimism,” he said.

Oak Bluffs had the most applications — 17 in all. The largest is a $9 million request for the installation of a new septage and sludge treatment facility at the town wastewater treatment plant. The town has also asked for $4 million to repair the failed North Bluff seawall and begin coastal bank restoration along Sea View avenue, $2 to $3 million to repair the Farm Pond culvert, $5.2 million for the Bradley Square project, $1.3 million for pedestrian safety improvements along Lake avenue, and $500,000 to $750,000 to dredge Sengekontacket Pond.

Edgartown’s big request is for $15 million to expand and renovate the town library; according to the application the project would create 134 construction jobs.

Tisbury requested funding for five projects; the biggest is $3 million for the long-discussed connector road between State Road and Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road. The town also applied for $700,000 for a new centrifuge at the town sewer plant, $300,000 to rebuild the Union street parking lot and sections of Water street, $70,000 to change the street lights at the Park and Ride from mercury lamps to energy-efficient LED lamps and $1.5 million for a new windmill near the town landfill.

West Tisbury sent in 10 applications; the largest request is for $3.5 million for an affordable housing project at 250 State Road proposed by the Island Affordable Housing Trust. The trust asked the town to apply for the money on its behalf. Other applications seek $940,000 for the Sepiessa II affordable housing project to build three new units of rental housing, $725,000 to resurface Lambert’s Cove Road from State Road to the town line, and $469,000 to resurface North Road from the State Road intersection to the Chilmark town line. The town also requested $50,000 for records archiving at town hall and $45,000 for a brick sidewalk in front of the town hall, currently undergoing a major renovation.

Aquinnah has applied for $1.5 million to resurface 6.81 miles of town-owned roads, $450,000 to build a new public safety building to house a police cruiser, fire truck and highway dump truck, and $38,000 to install a tower to measure wind energy resources in town.