Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
ARPA forestry grants kept Maine forest businesses afloat, MTI presentation finds
Summary
Maine Technology Institute told the Working Lands advisory board that two ARPA-funded forestry programs issued grants that helped retain workers, supported local vendors and highlighted the need for simple applications and technical assistance for small operators.
Matt Hoffner, representing Maine Technology Institute (MTI), told the Maine Working Lands Enterprise Advisory Board on April 30 that MTI’s administration of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) forestry funds delivered rapid, measurable benefits to small forest businesses.
MTI managed multiple ARPA forestry programs after the legislature directed federal ARPA dollars into the Maine Jobs and Recovery Program (MJRP) under LD 1733. Hoffner said one early program, Forest Recovery Initiative Phase 1 (FRI 1), provided broad, small-dollar relief: MTI received 217 applications and made 215 awards with an average award of about $27,500, distributing roughly $6,000,000. He said requests exceeded available funds by roughly three times.
The grants helped retain employees and circulate money in-state, Hoffner said. MTI’s follow-up survey, about 15 months after the awards, found that awardees reported 38% of employees who otherwise might have been laid off were retained. About half the money was spent on equipment, supplies and parts; 83% of those purchases were from Maine…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
