WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced July 24 that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $15 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), an increase of $5 million over the previous year.
The funding was included in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, on which Collins serves as a senior member. At least $3 million of that funding is to be used to address the decline in forest-based economies throughout the four-state region.
“The Northern Border Regional Commission is a critical source of investment for northern Maine communities, helping to grow their economies and create jobs,” said Collins. “I am encouraged that this bill increases support for this important organization, including additional funding to bolster the forest products industry.”
A federal-state partnership, the NBRC was created by Congress in 2008 to help alleviate economic distress and encourage private-sector job creation throughout the northern counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.
NBRC investments in Maine from 2010-2016 totaled nearly $5.5 million.
The Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill now faces the full Senate.
