USDA establishes first ‘Great Region’ in Maine

11 years ago
NE-USDA Great Region-clr-cx1-sharpt-33
Photo by Jon Gulliver/NMDC
     Bob Clark, executive director of the Northern Maine Development Commission, headquartered in Caribou, accepts a plaque from Virginia Manuel, USDA rural development state director, recognizing the agency as an “Official Partner in Maine’s Great Region.”

By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer

    PRESQUE ISLE — Aroostook, Washington and Piscataquis counties share many of the same strengths and challenges. It is the common assets that have led to the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development to name the counties Maine’s first “Great Region.”
    The designation was unveiled Thursday, Aug. 8, at the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Campus Center by USDA Rural Development State Director Virginia Manuel. In making the announcement, she also identified the selection of three key leading organizations: Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC), Sunrise County Economic Council and Piscataquis County Economic Development Council — which will join in facilitating activities in the Great Region.

    “The USDA defines a Great Region as a multi-county region with a regional economic development plan developed by a local/regional team with broad participation, where the plan is built upon careful analysis of the region’s assets, including its key current and emerging clusters,” said Manuel.
    Those clusters for Maine’s Great Region are agriculture and forestry, specifically supporting local and regional food systems, and promoting the bio-based economy.
    Joining Manuel for the announcement were: NMDC Executive Director Bob Clark, Sunrise County Economic Council Executive Director Harold Clossey and Piscataquis County Economic Development Council Community Development Director Ken Woodbury. Taking part in a roundtable discussion after the announcement were stakeholders representing local and regional food systems and the bio-based economy.
    “Our economy is built on our natural resources and it’s primarily forestry, agriculture and the associated manufacturing and processing facilities that support those industries,” said Clark.
    He added much work has already been done to augment the growth of the biomass energy cluster in northern Maine through the Mobilize Northern Maine effort. Mobilize Northern Maine is a strategic planning effort utilized by NMDC and Aroostook Partnership for Progress (APP) to help focus economic development efforts.
    Clark indicated that over the past two years there has been more than 20 commercial biomass boiler installations resulting in a net savings over fuel oil of $1.7 million. Many of those installations were funded, in part, by USDA Rural Development. On the residential side, pellet stove and boiler sales are up by more than 12 percent from 2011 to 2012.
    Also, in the past few months, NMDC has been engaged with agriculture trying to assist in the development of a diversified agriculture cluster.
    Clossey said his organization “found its niche” in matching investors with entities in need of capital.
    “We have investors with access to capital, they need financing. We’re working to get private investment to support local businesses,” said Clossey, noting those businesses are largely agricultural, including blueberries, maple syrup and apple trees, among others.
    “Our goal is to sustain our food system, promote education, while creating jobs,” said Clossey. Using grants and micro-loans, Clossey hopes the program will enable local farmers to flourish.
    Woodbury said like most rural counties, Piscataquis has struggled, due to a declining population and lack of jobs.
    He said efforts are being made to take advantage of the area’s natural assets.
    “We’ve made improvements to our ATV and snowmobile trails to enhance tourism. Aroostook County is a premiere example of how to promote those industries, so we followed their lead,” said Woodbury.
    Woodbury talked about various historic projects in Piscataquis that involved building renovations undertaken to promote more tourism to the region.
    “On the ag side, we have small farmers — sheep, bison — and work with them through our farmer’s market,” said Woodbury. “We’re working to attract and retain business and we’re reaching out to Aroostook County to teach us.”
    “To be called a Great Region, not only is a special designation by USDA, but it also implies a responsibility to partner with us to figure out ways based on the strengths of the three counties to promote even more economic growth in the region,” said Manuel.
    Clark added that although the Great Region designation does not mean any upfront financial assistance, it might mean preference in applying for certain USDA grants.
    Aroostook, Washington and Piscataquis are the only areas in Maine to receive the designation. In the northeast, the only other Great Region is in Vermont, where the goals include a mixed-use retail and food-processing center, a goat milk producers association and environmental service market.