Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry

The grants are expected to create jobs in trail design, construction and maintenance and revenue from materials purchases. Maine’s trail systems are considered critical for the outdoor economy.

Recipients include brewers, oyster growers and specialty producers, with award amounts ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.

The state PFAS Fund has selected seven research projects for funding to better understand so-called forever chemicals, which some 90 farmers unwittingly applied to their soil by fertilizing with municipal sludge.

On Monday, the USDA announced that a portion of the funding for Maine agriculture contracts was being sent out, which followed ag commissioner Amanda Beal's recent appeal.

"If agriculture is your passion, embrace it," says Amanda Beal, commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

The state says its plan to upgrade parks across Maine represents the first meaningful investment in their infrastructure for over 15 years.

Maine's 53 state parks and historic sites topped 3 million visitors for the first time in history, despite the fact that 10 popular coastal parks were closed in April and May.

Recipients include the Maine Maple Producers Association, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Alliance and University of Maine’s Maine Food and Agriculture Center.

The Drought Disaster Declaration means that farmers in Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset and Washington counties are eligible for emergency assistance through the USDA's Farm Service Agency.

State agencies and farm associations have joined forces to fill agricultural labor voids in response to the pandemic.