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February 4, 2022

5 former mill towns share $120K in grant to redevelop forest-product facilities

aerial of factory with trucks and lights Courtesy / Haley Ward A final round of grants has gone to five former mill towns to help them develop new uses for forest-product facilities and resources. Seen here is the former site of the Great Northern Paper mill complex in East Millinocket, where redevelopment is in progress.
By Staff

Five former mill towns will share $120,000 in grant funds to reinvigorate their forest-product facilities for new uses.

The money comes from FOR/Maine (Maine’s Forest Opportunity Roadmap) — a coalition working to diversify the state’s wood-products businesses, attract capital investments, and develop greater economic prosperity for rural communities — and Maine Development Foundation.

The funds are the final phase of grants to the five Maine communities, which have been affected by paper mill closures in recent years.

The final $120,000 brings the total amount awarded through FOR/Maine’s Increasing Prosperity for Maine’s Forest Economy Communities subgrant program to $1.2 million, according to a news release.

The program supports redevelopment projects that may help foster the next generation of forest products, especially in global markets. Funding was made possible by awards from the federal Northern Border Regional Commission and the Maine Rural Development Authority.

“This is a model for future work that can be replicated to continue transitioning these economies and make them more diverse and sustainable,” Charlie Spies, FOR/Maine Communities Committee Chair and retired CEO of CEI Capital Management, said in the release.

“This approach proves that a coordinated and concerted effort that focuses on regional needs rather than just one group or community can lift all ships and revive century-old, forest-based economies throughout Maine.”

New industrial uses

In Ashland, $20,000 will go to conduct engineering studies that will help prepare a 94-acre former manufacturing campus for a new generation of industrial uses.

In Lincoln, $20,000 will go toward an update of Maine Department of Environmental Protection permits for several facilities in the former Lincoln Paper & Tissue campus, to be repurposed for modern uses.

Madison will receive $30,000 to update an engineering study for industrial-grade wastewater processing at the former Madison Paper complex, with the goal of converting agricultural and municipal waste into a renewable natural gas and power for TimberHP’s nearby factory.

East Millinocket will receive $30,000 to complete site planning on a vast section of greenfields on the Penobscot River as part of the redevelopment of the 215-acre former Great Northern Paper site.

Millinocket will get $20,000 for electrical and heating studies of buildings in the Great Northern Paper complex to help determine their future uses.

“We appreciate the tireless efforts of MDF to assist municipalities hit hardest by the closure of paper mills over the past several years,” said Angela Cote, administrative assistant to the East Millinocket Selectboard. “MDF’s collaboration with the Northern Border Regional Commission and the Maine Rural Development Authority has resulted in direct funding to help former mill towns rebuild.”

The Northern Border Regional Commission and Maine Rural Development Authority fund the grant program. It's administered by the Maine Development Foundation, which staffs the FOR/Maine coalition and is a key partner in the coalition’s work.

“We are excited to play a role in funding this group of projects, and to see these funds go to support innovative efforts to diversify Maine’s forest-economy communities,” said Northern Border Regional Commission Executive Director Rich Grogan. “It is also crucial that these investments support new forest products, furthering this industry’s rich tradition in Maine, and across the NBRC region.”

In a joint statement, U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine 2nd District, noted that the forest-products industry has been a critical economic contributor to rural Maine communities for generations.

With the right investments, they said, it can continue to play a vital role in Maine.

“The work of the industry-led FOR/Maine initiative has helped position this sector for continued success, and investments in these communities will bolster the development of new sustainable forest products, help support good quality jobs in each region, and take important steps toward our shared goal of revitalizing Maine’s forest economy,” the congressional members said.

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