WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins—Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee—and Angus King announced that 10 Maine organizations will receive a total of $6,541,337 to support important development projects. The funding comes from the Northern Border Regional Commission’s (NBRC) Fiscal Year 2025 Catalyst Program, made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act (IIJA). Senator Collins was one of 10 senators who negotiated the IIJA.

“The NBRC has long helped provide rural regions with the economic tools they need to prosper,” said Senators Collins and King. “This funding will help improve critical infrastructure in communities across our state while strengthening our workforce and creating economic opportunities for Mainers.”

Specifically, the funding is allocated as follows:

• Bangor YMCA - $1,000,000
• Caribou Utilities District - $1,000,000
• Monmouth Water Association - $1,000,000
• Outdoor Sports Institute - $1,000,000
• Town of Jonesport - $799,615
• Friends of Veterans Memorial Library - $606,691
• Maine Development Foundation - $500,000
• Center for Entrepreneurial Studies - $499,869
• Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems - $100,000
• Hancock County Planning Commission - $35,162

A detailed description of all funded projects can be read here.

The NBRC was established by Congress in 2008, with Senator Collins’ and King’s support, to fund a broad range of development projects in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York aimed at alleviating economic distress and encouraging private sector job creation. In 2023, Senator Collins introduced and Senator King co-sponsored legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the NBRC.

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