At its meeting last month, the MaineCF Board of Directors heard about economic, healthcare, and education issues in Piscataquis County and the Katahdin region of Penobscot County. The panelists -- Matt Polstein, owner of the New England Outdoor Center; Ralph Gabarro, CEO of Mayo Hospital; and Merlene Sanborn, acting assistant dean of programs at Eastern Maine Community College -- described in compelling fashion the challenges facing their communities, tempering their remarks with cautious optimism about the future.
Two weeks earlier I traveled much of the length of Route 11 to attend graduation at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. Route 11 is about as scenic and rural as you’ll find in Maine, and the 100-mile journey from I-95 to downtown Fort Kent included three moose sightings, five turkeys, and a number of small villages. Downtown Fort Kent was vibrant and bustling with international flair. More than a few of the university’s students come from outside the U.S., and I think the entire community packed into the sports center to witness the ceremony honoring the 150+ graduates of the Class of 2010.
Rural Maine is of particular interest to the Maine Community Foundation. Our work is rooted in rural philanthropy, the most visible expression being the Community Building Grant Program launched in 1986 with support from the Jessie B. Cox Trust and the Ford Foundation. The first county-based funds were started in Maine’s most rural areas: Aroostook, Washington, and Piscataquis Counties.
An article by economist David Vail in the most recent Maine Policy Review suggests that many rural communities are not experiencing a hoped-for population rebound, a critical ingredient for long-term economic growth. Combined with chronic decline in state and federal resources available to supplement local economic development efforts, rural communities are left to devise new ways to achieve sustainability.
In his article, “Prospects for a Rim County Population Rebound,” Vail suggests it is unlikely there will be a major population movement to Maine’s rim counties. He goes on to say, “My current research supports the hypothesis that strategically clustered investments in charming village centers, cultural events, scenic byways, interpretive trails, and other amenity assets can significantly boost tourist numbers, tourism revenues, and quality tourism jobs.”
Examples of such “amenity assets” in rural Maine abound, many of them recipients of MaineCF grant support: The Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft, Tides Institute in Eastport, Wintergreen Arts Center in Presque Isle, Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel in Lille, Maine Winter Sports Center in Caribou, and The Grand in Ellsworth.
These centers serve as destinations or gathering places for residents and tourists alike. They also engender tremendous community pride and make measurable contributions to community vibrancy. Alone, they are not going to ensure long-term sustainability, but they provide some of the needed infrastructure to make a good and healthy start.
With vibrant downtowns, strong local leadership, and a can-do attitude, our rural communities have reason to be cautiously optimistic. Do you agree?