Maine is receiving more than $1.2 million from the Northern Border Regional Commission — which was created by legislation U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud authored several years ago with the aim of rejuvenating some of the most economically distressed areas in New England.
“When I authored the legislation creating the Northern Border Regional Commission, I did so with the hope that it would create good jobs for Mainers and help jumpstart the parts of our state where business development is needed most,” said Michaud. “Today’s latest round of grants to Maine communities and organizations is more proof of how the NBRC is working just as we had hoped — it’s protecting and even creating jobs, and it’s giving many of our communities the tools and infrastructure they need to flourish.”
The grantees in Maine include:
• $250,000 to Indian Township Passamaquoddy Reservation, to build a maple processing facility in Jackson;
• $250,000 to the town of Hartland to line a solid waste landfill facility (NBRC estimates this will save 142 jobs);
• $226,000 to the town of Ashland, to upgrade a section of highway that is central to the town forest-products intermodal facility;
• $230,000 to the Maine Woods Products Association, to start a training and credentialing program for industry employees; and
• $250,000 to the city of Ellsworth, to develop a station to expand the availability of high-speed Internet along the city’s main thoroughfare (NBRC predicts this will support up to 100 new jobs).
“These are great investments for our state — they’ll create jobs, strengthen infrastructure and make our state a better place to do business,” added Michaud. “I’m pleased the NBRC has been such a success, and I look forward to future investments in our state.”
