Mainebiz, Penobscot Times report UMaine, East Millinocket get $1.25M for forest-industry development
Mainebiz and The Penobscot Times reported the federal government will award $1.25 million in grants to support forest-industry development projects at the University of Maine and in East Millinocket. UMaine will receive $1 million to build a demonstration-scale nanocellulose plant, and East Millinocket will get $250,000 to support the acquisition of a former paper mill site, according to a news release from U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King. The grants are from the Northern Border Regional Commission, which funds infrastructure projects throughout northern and central Maine, as well as northern New York, New Hampshire and Vermont, according to the reports. Collins and King said the funded projects align with the recommendations of the Forest Opportunity Roadmap, an industry-led initiative unveiled last year that aims to diversify the state’s wood products businesses, attract investments, and develop greater economic prosperity for rural communities impacted by mill closures.