UMaine awarded $250,000 U.S. Forest Service Wood Innovation Grant, media report
WAGM (Channel 8 in Presque Isle), Biomass Magazine, Republican Journal, Mainebiz and the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel reported on recent funding awarded by the U.S. Forest Service’s Wood Innovation Grant Program. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, a cofounder of the Senate Working Forests Caucus, applauded the announcement that the University of Maine and GO Lab, Inc. in Belfast have each been awarded $250,000 to support environmentally sustainable innovation and help expand markets for Maine’s forest products, WAGM reported. “Maine’s forest economy plays a vital role in the state’s economy, and it is critical that this industry has the tools it needs to adapt to changing markets,” Collins and King said in a joint statement. “The funding will help the GO Lab, Inc. and the UMaine teams develop new products and opportunities for the forest industry and support rural communities that rely on it. We look forward to supporting these efforts to help Maine’s forest economy continue to grow and thrive.” UMaine was awarded funds for modeling, siting and engineering a biomass power system to supply the energy needs of its Orono campus, according to media reports.