Patrick Strauch ~ Executive Director, Maine Forest Products Council and
Tom Doak ~ Executive Director, Small Woodlot Owners Assoc. of Maine

Transportation Improvements Underway
The southern and eastern parts of Piscataquis County got good news earlier this year with the announcement of repairs to Routes 6, 16, and 7. These roads are the principle avenues to the County from Interstate 95. Routes 6 and 16 connect the eastern part of Piscataquis to I-95 while Route 7 connects Dover-Foxcroft, Sangerville, and Guilford.

Tourism Development Consultants Named
Last year, the Piscataquis County Commissioner provided the PCEDC with funding to implement the County's tourism development plan; namely itinerary development and related road signage. In March, the PCEDC contracted with the Eastern Maine Development Corporation to implement this plan. EMDC will work with the newly appointed Piscataquis Tourism Task Force (see story below) to complete the plan.

Cultural/Heritage Staffing Grant Approved
The PCEDC has partnered with the Center Theatre for the Performing Arts on a successful AmericCorp grant that will provide a full time employee to be shared between both organizations. The PCEDC will utilize the person's time to work with the Cultural Heritage & Eco-Tourism (CHET) Committee on projects such as the Piscataquis County history book, updating the cultural/heritage directory, and updating the PCEDC's CHET web pages.

The Center Theatre will use the person to recruit volunteers for Theatre projects, fundraising, and general assistance.

PCEDC Recognized by Bangor Daily News Editorial
Piscataquis Success
Friday, January 06, 2006 - Bangor Daily News

Maine in the past couple of years has either produced or purchased several studies that exhort development officials to emphasize high-end tourism and to do so in a regional way. The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council and the county's commissioners have been building capacity for this kind of tourism during that time, reaching across town lines to develop a coherent strategy for both expanding and controlling growth regionally. It is an impressive beginning.

Drawing on statewide work, such as the Fermata Nature Tourism Assessment last year, and local studies -"Potential for Expanded Dog-Powered Activities in Piscataquis County, Maine" - the county's tourism task force set out eight goals for 2006 that will help the region build capacity, assist businesses, produce complete tourism packages and more tightly link the county's efforts to the state's. The result creates a homegrown agenda that helps Piscataquis direct its own fate.

The task force is just one part of the council's efforts in well-known places such as Greenville and lesser-known communities to turn around a demographic slide that would otherwise doom the county. The council states this plainly: for income, population growth, education and employment, Piscataquis lags behind state averages, and the state lags behind the New England region in several areas.

But rather than complain to Augusta about conditions, the Piscataquis council has acted regionally to begin to solve its problems.

Since forming in 1997, the council (www.pcedc.org) has been working to support existing businesses, often forestry-based, while promoting the county's cultural heritage as a draw for both new businesses and tourists.

An attractive natural setting as a means to development has been talked about in the region for many years and actually carried out on occasion. In 1991, a Greenville development plan said that along with forestry and tourism, "Greenville stands, over time, to generate a third class of industries driven to the area by their owner's personal interest in the amenities of the area." (It anticipates what is now called the creative economy by a half-dozen years.)

With major resorts talked about for Moosehead Lake and Brownville, the council now has a fourth industry to consider in the mix of what it wants to look like in the decades ahead. How it will solve these challenges can be seen in the size of its board of directors - up to 50 residents at a time, ensuring not only many different ideas are heard but that the council is able to build broad support for its agenda.

Forestry and tourism will continue side by side in Piscataquis County and across the larger region. How well they do, and how well Maine residents do by them, however, is very much an open question. The council has given Piscataquis a means for success with both, which should reap the rewards of this work in the coming years.

PCEDC Tourism Committee Named
The PCEDC Exec Com recently announced the following people to serve on this year's Piscataquis Tourism Task Force:

Roger Merchant (chair)
Sandee Dethlefsen
Dan Lagere
Harry Anderson
Gerry Whiting
Owen Pratt
Suzette East
Gayle Watson
Richard Carrier
Terry Knowles
Patrick Myers
Eric Ward
Lynn Welch
Phil Savignano

Ex Officio Town Managers include:
Jane Jones
Sophie Wilson
Tom Goulette
Robert Nicholson
John Simko
Jack Clukey
Dick Drummond

American Pride Owners Recognized
The Maine Wood Products Association (MWPA) has recognized brothers Doug and Jody Fletcher for their 2006 Pine Tree Award. Last year, the Fletchers purchased Pride Manufacturing's Guilford assets in a bid to continue producing Maine-made wood turnings. This purchase saved over 50 jobs that were to be eliminated if no buyer stepped forward. The brothers named the new Guilford operation American Pride.

Both Doug and Jody have a lifetime of wood turnings experience. Their New Vineyard operation, Maine Wood Turnings, has been in operation since the 1970's and, although the wood turnings sector has suffered increased foreign competition, they are "business survivors."

According to the MWPA, "it is because of the ingenuity and business acumen that the Fletcher family has shown, coupled with their continued investment in the Maine forest products industry, that the Maine Wood Products Association is pleased to present the 2006 Pine Tree Award to Maine Wood Turnings. We thank them for their hard work in a difficult industry and their continued support of the Maine Wood Products Association."

Local Company Receives Government Contract
According to Senator Olympia Snowe, Creative Apparel Associates has been awarded a $25.6 million contract to manufacture chemical suits for the military. Creative Apparel has a 60 person operation at the Pine Crest Business Park in Dover-Foxcroft.

For more information on government contracts, contact the PCEDC office or the Maine Procurement Technical Assistance Center in Bangor.

For more information on how the PCEDC worked with other partners in attracting Creative Apparel, click here.

Update on Moosehead Mfg for Governor's Award
The PCEDC was pleased to partner with the Maine Highland's Guild in nominating Moosehead Manufacturing for the 2006 Governor's Award for Business Excellence. The award recognizes Maine businesses that are leaders in business as well as civic and employee excellence.

Although not chosen this time, the PCEDC and Guild will be re-nominating one of our most venerable manufacturers next year.

Scenic Byway Proposed
The Eastern Maine Development Corporation is working with the Town of Greenville, the Piscataquis County Commissioners, and Plum Creek Timberlands on a Scenic Byway eligibility application for the stretch of Route 15 between Greenville and Jackman. This will connect that route with the Old Canada Road Scenic Byway. For more information, click here. If you would like more information on the proposed Byway, contact John Noll at the Eastern Maine Development Corporation at 1-800-339-6389.

JSI Store Fixtures Expands
Because of increased sales, JSI Store Fixtures Inc. of Milo has begun construction on a 15,000 s/f extension to their facility. JSI Store Fixtures is a home-grown Piscataquis County business started in a basement during the early 1990's. With lots of dedication and strong business acumen, this family owned business broke into an extremely competitive market and is now a leading player in the industry. In 2004, the company management was awarded "Maine Businesses Owner of the Year" by the US Small Business Administration.

JSI currently employs over 100 people.

Plum Creek's New Plan, Partnerships, and Endorsements
This spring Plum Creek formally presented their new plan to the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission. Briefly, the new plan reduces the number of residential lots on "remote ponds," eliminates the planned resort on Brassua Lake, reduces the planned resort property on Lily Bay from 3,000 acres to 500, and creates space for a resort on Moose Mountain next to Greenville.

Most significantly, Plum Creek has partnered with mainstream conservation groups (the Nature Conservancy, the Forest Society of Maine, and the Appalachian Mountain Club) in creating a framework for the permanent conservation of 400,000 acres of land that will be off-limits to development forever. Part of the framework also guarantees permanent public access in perpetuity. These are important parts of Piscataquis County's forest products and tourism sectors.

The plan also addresses the economic needs of the region by creating approximately 1,300 badly needed jobs for area residents.

The PCEDC believes this new plan to be of strong benefit to Piscataquis County and has joined a pro-Plum Creek organization called the Coalition to Preserve and Grow Northern Maine. The Piscataquis County Commissioners and the Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce have also voted to support Plum Creek's new direction.

WGAN Radio has a good overview of the issue.

Did you know....
Piscataquis County's population has been in decline from 18,329 people in 1990 to 17,235 in 2000; an 8% drop. Only Aroostook County had a greater drop in population (-10.6%).
(source: 2000 US Census Bureau)

Between 2004 to 2020, Piscataquis County's population is estimated to decline by another 2%; the 3rd largest decline of any Maine county.
(source:"Maine County Economic Forecast", September '05, Maine State Planning Office)