Group including School of Forest Resources director unveils strategy to strengthen forest economy, media report

The Bangor Daily News and WVII (Channel 7) covered the release of the Maine Forest Economy Growth Initiative’s report, “Recommendations to Strengthen and Diversify Maine’s Forest Industry and Rural Economies.” In the report, the coalition unveiled nine priorities to be addressed in the next three years. The top priority is to develop a long-term vision and roadmap for the forest economy, according to a Maine Development Foundation release. The plan will identify the key opportunities and challenges that must be overcome to attract capital investment, develop greater prosperity in the forest products sector, and sustain good paying jobs in Maine’s rural communities, the release states. Jake Ward, the University of Maine’s vice president of innovation and economic development, and Stephen Shaler, director of UMaine’s School of Forest Resources, are members of the Maine Forest Economy Growth Initiative.