Feds learn about community, in-person

BY NICK BATTISTA

KATHLEEN BILLINGS, Stonington’s longtime town manager, articulated some deep truths to representatives of the Northern Border Regional Commission (NRBC) during a recent visit.

“This is our home,” she said. “Once you are on an island, there’s a different culture to it. You have to be selfsufficient. You have to figure it out for yourselves, that’s what makes us tough. We care about each other and there’s a strong sense of community.”

Over the course of two foggy, rainy days in June, with Island Institute staff, Maine’s congressional delegation, and Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development helped the NBRC understand the unique economic needs, challenges, and opportunities of Maine’s island and coastal communities.

The NBRC is a federal agency that works in partnership with member states to support economic development in distressed or struggling counties across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. The geography is dominated by forests and small rural communities that depend on the woods, paper mills, sawmills, and increasingly, on outdoor recreation—communities like Madawaska, Millinocket, and Bingham.

As a young but growing federal agency, NBRC is continually striving to ensure its work aligns with the needs of the communities it is designed to serve.

“In undertaking this work there is no substitute for listening first-hand to communities describe both the history that has shaped them and their vision for securing a brighter future,” said Chris Saunders, NBRC’s federal co-chairman.

“While needs like infrastructure, housing, and workforce development are shared among nearly all our communities, our policies and investments are stronger when guided by an understanding of the specific ways our communities and businesses hope to address these challenges and the partners they are working with to do so,” Saunders said.

Experiencing coastal communities firsthand helps NBRC be a better partner in Maine.

At the Vinalhaven Fisherman’s Coop, we heard about planning for infrastructure upgrades that will help maintain working waterfront. Between those working for the coop and the fishermen who use it, this infrastructure supports paychecks for over 5% of the community.

In Spruce Head and Stonington, we saw properties adjacent to important waterfront properties that had recently been listed for sale and been purchased