The Forest Opportunity Roadmap (FOR/Maine) was released yesterday, discussing a vision and roadmap for Maine’s forest products sector from now to 2025.
The report states that “technology, globalization, and shifting consumer demands are bringing change and new opportunities to Maine’s traditional forest economy. While some markets have declined, the forest products sector remains a critical component of Maine’s economy. But, like all manufacturing businesses, production has shifted to higher-demand products, and even newer products are on the horizon.”
Included in the roadmap is a recommendation for a goal to “Increase prosperity in Maine forest economy communities, especially those in rural Maine, including those affected by mill closures.” Rural towns affected by mill closures can certainly be used to describe some of the towns in our region. FOR/Maine suggests to “encourage community efforts to create the conditions that attract diverse investment, including efforts to redevelop mill sites, improve broadband and other infrastructure, and leverage community incentives to support these efforts.”
We couldn’t agree more with their recommendations.
Read the entire FOR/Maine Report here.
