The University of Maine FOREST Initiative: FORest Economy, Sustainability, & Technology
UMaine FOREST is a university-wide multi-disciplinary initiative that brings together university, industry, government, and community collaborators for the advancement of forest-based economy in Maine and beyond.
NSF EPSCoR
Maine-FOREST Research Project
Maine-FOREST (Forest-based Opportunities for Resilient Economy, Sustainability, and Technology) is a multi-million dollar research project awarded in 2024 as part of NSF’s EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence program, lead by Dr. Aaron Weiskittel, director of the Center for Research on Sustainable Forests. Maine-FOREST is dedicated to advancing Maine’s forest-based economy through strategic yet innovative research, education, outreach, and partnerships that harness the power of AI, advanced bioproducts, rural resilience, and smart development.
UMaine FOREST Initiative
Vision
Creating prosperity for the land, people and habitat supported by forests.
Mission
Organize and leverage existing strengths to facilitate communications and engagement of all stakeholders to address the complex challenges facing the forest sector in Maine and beyond.
Purpose
Coordinate, communicate and collaborate across the University of Maine System with external partners to develop and deliver integrated research, education and outreach solutions that enhance the economic and ecological sustainability of forest-based communities.
