LINCOLN, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today met with local business leaders, officials, and career and technical educators in the Katahdin region to underscore the importance of a multi-faceted approach to grow Maine’s rural economy. Senator King spoke with educators and students in Northern Maine Community College and Katahdin Region Higher Learning Center’s Mechanized Logging Program; visited the new Woods and Waters Shop in downtown Millinocket; toured the former Great Norther paper mill site in Millinocket with its local nonprofit owner Our Katahdin; and held a roundtable discussion on economic development in Lincoln in the afternoon.

“It’s great to see what’s happening in downtown Millinocket and throughout the region, with local people investing in the future of their community and coming together to create jobs and bolster the economy,” Senator King said. “The past several years have been difficult for this part of our state and for the families that call it home, but through the hard work of dedicated people, we are seeing a positive ray of hope that – with the right resources and tools behind it – could send ripples of energy and growth throughout the entire Katahdin region. It takes a comprehensive effort from all levels of government, from leaders in the private sector, and from enterprising people in the community to strengthen this vibrant region and build on its heritage to help people thrive.”

This morning, Senator King joined Northern Maine Community College’s Mechanized Logging Program to celebrate its new no-cost lease equipment from Milton-CAT and Nortrax. In April, Senator King unveiled his rural economic agenda “You Can Get There from Here: Growing Maine’s Rural economy” which builds off recommendations from the January assessment from the Economic Development Assessment Team’s report on Maine’s Forest Economy. Included in the agenda, is the Invest in Rural America Act, legislation Senator King introduced to expand and modernize Maine’s workforce. The bill would – among other things – support grant funding for career and technical education, broadband access and adoption, support systems (e.g., drug treatment, child care) for members of low-income families seeking employment, business incubators, technical assistance for securing private investment, pre-apprenticeships, registered apprenticeships, assistance for workers impacted by trade, transitional jobs for low-income workers, career pathways, and integrated adult education and occupational training.

Senator King then toured the former Great Northern Paper mill site with Our Katahdin to hear about its plans to develop a new, innovative industrial park. Our Katahdin is a volunteer-driven nonprofit working to promote and expand economic development in the Katahdin region. In January, Our Katahdin acquired the former mill site in Millinocket and seeks to renovate the site and encourage new business growth. The January assessment from the Economic Development Assessment Team (EDAT) – originally requested in March 2016 by Senators Collins and King – outlined strategies to leverage federal resources to redevelop former industrial sites and support the viability of impacted mill communities to grow Maine’s rural economy.

Senator King continued the economic development conversation at a roundtable with local officials, business leaders and members of forest product industry in the afternoon in Lincoln.

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