UMaine receives federal funding to aid forest products industry, media report
The Associated Press, Bangor Daily News, Portland Press Herald, WABI (Channel 5), Maine Public Broadcasting Network, WLBZ (Channel 2), WVII (Channel 7) and Mainebiz covered a news conference July 29 at the University of Maine with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Matt Erskine. At the event, Erskine announced the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) will invest more than $4 million to help diversify and grow the Maine economy, which includes new funds designed to aid the forest sector. UMaine was listed among the funding recipients. “The Economic Development Administration and its federal partners are committed to working closely with Maine stakeholders today and in the years to come to help struggling communities statewide work toward building a robust and enduring economy,” Erskine said. He also announced an EDA Team will visit eastern Maine Aug. 17–19 to evaluate new and existing strategies to address the state’s forest-based economic challenges, according to the reports. In addition, the Department of Defense announced it would invest $3.3 million in UMaine’s Forest Bioproducts Research Institute to push forward research on converting wood into jet fuel, the BDN reported. The Washington Times carried the AP report and Penobscot Bay Pilot published the EDA news release. The federal investments also were the focus of a BDN editorial.