Our community revitalization programming is built on the premise that Northern Forest towns need to attract and retain more (youngish) people and entrepreneurs in order to thrive. Craft breweries signal investment and confidence in their host communities.

We're using integrated capital to achieve a central goal of boosting people, place and economy so that communities can be places of pride, purpose and vitality.

The work we see taking shape in local schools in the Maine West area is the kind of thing we believe can help the region stand out to prospective residents and motivated teachers.

Knowledge and ideas from rural communities across the country helps us be more effective advocates for policy that benefits the Northern Forest region.

Tupper Lake is often perceived as struggling, and some of its demographic statistics reflect this. Those assumptions and statistics don’t capture the bright, optimistic people who love this town, and are choosing to invest here and make it their own.

Center Vice President Joe Short co-authored a blog with Clifford Deaton of the Aspen Institute to showcase the many ways the Farm Bill is crucial to supporting rural communities, families and entrepreneurship.

The general population embraces the local food movement to sustains local farms, but it doesn’t seem to be as popular to use forest products to support our local forests. Forests and farms are interrelated, and together they form the unique landscape across our region. We should celebrate both parts of our working landscape.

Community Forest projects are a great way for communities to meet a mix of conservation and community goals across ecology, economics, recreation, and education.

When approaching rural community development issues, the Northern Forest needs to capitalize on our unique competitive advantages that can’t be found anywhere else—the forest, mountains, water, and sense of place—and tailor our efforts to retaining and attracting people who want the lifestyle afforded by this place.

To retain and attract young people for the region, we must pay attention to their personal, familial and professional needs. These include affordable access to broadband, good schools and hospitals, social opportunities, outdoor recreation, and quality housing.