In this issue... Fourth Edition The Creative Economy Takes Off in Maine's Mountains Region Maine Mountain Heritage Network Update Hot Grant Opportunity: Northern Forest Partnership Project Spotlight: The Western Maine Farm Fund Who's Involved View the list of Network Steering Committee Members at www.mainemountains.org. Join the Network Interested in joining the Network? It's quick, easy, and free. Just fill out the form on our website to sign up now. To learn more contact the Network's coordinating agency: Mountain Counties Heritage P.O. Box 508 Farmington ME 04938 (207) 778-3885 info@mainemountains.org Not sure why you received our e-Newsletter? We sent this electronic mailing to people who have an existing relationship with us and also to people whom we think the information will be of interest. We DON'T share your information with anyone - view our Privacy Policy. April/May 2004 Celebrating Maine's Mountain Heritage Welcome to the April/May Edition of Network News! Network News is the official e-Newsletter of the Maine Mountain Heritage Network. Published once a month, it's filled with updates and articles about what is happening in the Maine Mountain Heritage Area. If you want to learn more about the Network visit our website at www.mainemountains.org, or call the Network's coordinating agency, Mountain Counties Heritage, at (207) 778-3885. We welcome your story ideas! E-mail us at info@mainemountains.org. The Creative Economy Takes Off in Maine's Mountain Region By Toni Seger, Western Oxford Foothills Cultural Council For the first time in our nation's history, arts and economics are, literally, on the same page and not because commerce is once again trumping culture. Economic development, the language of politicians and policy makers, is being applied to creatively oriented employment and productive enterprise. In 2001, a regional report, "The Creative Economy Initiative," demonstrated a direct relationship between New England's rich cultural life and its overall economic health. http://www.nefa.org/projinit/createecon. The report describes a highly entrepreneurial, creative workforce totaling 245,000 workers. It estimates the annual payroll of what was termed the "Creative Cluster" (like the health care cluster or the technology cluster) at $4.3 billion. The report also declares: "Arts education teaches the very skills required by the 21st century workforce." Nationally, economic developers note that a community's cultural activity can be an essential element in business investment and relocation. Studies also reveal the momentum of downtown revitalization and the restoration of historic structures are fueled by growing populations of culturally oriented people participating in local planning efforts. This is not just good citizenship. New England's creative economy is estimated to generate $6.6 billion in cultural and heritage tourism. In Maine, Governor Baldacci has voiced strong interest in the creative economy concept. On May 6th and 7th the Governor hosted a Blaine House Conference on the Creative Economy at the Bates Mill Complex in Lewiston. (For more information about what happened at the Blaine House Conference, visit: http://www.mainecreativeeconomy.org). As part of the preparation for the Governor's Conference, meetings were held in Dover-Foxcroft, Farmington, and South Paris that demonstrated significant interest in the creative economy concept in the mountain region. The Maine Mountain Heritage Network believes that cultural endeavor is an economic, social and educational win-win. Ideas that members of the Network have proposed so far to stimulate the creative economy in our region include establishing better communication links between creative entrepreneurs and potential markets for their creative products and setting up creative economy "incubators." If you would like to be part of this Creative Economy Initiative for the mountain region, please contact Toni Seger, proseworks@pivot.net. Hot Grant Opportunity: The Northern Forest Partnership Small-Grants Program The North East State Foresters Association and the Northern Forest Center are pleased to announce the first Northern Forest Partnership Small-Grants Program. The Northern Forest Partnership Program is jointly administered by the North East State Foresters Association and the Northern Forest Center and made possible through a grant from the USDA Forest Service Economic Action Program and support from Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire. The Partnership Program grants will support innovative, community-generated projects that work in a forested landscape to promote diverse and sustainable economies. The Partnership Program has $70,000 available for grants of up to $5,000 to support projects that strengthen local economies, communities and the environment. Non-profits, local government entities, and businesses are eligible to apply. ***APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JUNE 30, 2004 *** Application materials and guidelines are available at http://www.northernforest.org. Questions should be directed to Heather Cowenhoven at 603-229-0679 or hcowenhoven@northernforest.org. April/May 2004 Network Update Coordinating information centers - On April 12, representatives of education and tourism groups from across the region came together to talk about existing and proposed information centers. The meeting also included representatives from the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Office of Tourism, and the Maine Tourism Association. (To see complete notes for this meeting, the Network's forum at www.mainemountains.org). Participants identified a need to coordinate activities to provide visitors with a compelling and consistent experience. The group recommended collecting more information about existing and proposed centers and creating a regional plan for presentation of information and allocation of resources. A second meeting of those interested specifically in interpretive centers (presenting information about history, culture, and nature) is scheduled for June 8. For information about this meeting, contact Mike Wilson, Northern Forest Center mwilson@northernforest.org. Recreation planning - The Network's recreation planning effort took a major step forward on May 21st as the Maine Office of Tourism co-hosted (with the Network) a meeting of recreation leaders from the region. The group discussed a range of recreation development and land conservation projects that have been proposed or are underway in the region with an eye toward how state agencies, including the Office of Tourism, might help move a regional development and promotion effort forward. Participants supported the idea of regional coordination and recommended further discussion to identify key opportunities for state government intervention. Marketing - Public Service Communication has been working closely with Mountain Counties Heritage, Inc. over the past several months to complete a marketing plan for the region. The plan is now in draft form and will be distributed to the Network’s marketing committee for review and comment before broader distribution. The draft plan recommends focusing on cultural heritage tourism as a great cross sector marketing platform and outlines a “Maine Mountain Destination Village” campaign as a means for the region to gain a greater share of this market. Web site update - Mountain Counties Heritage, Inc. continues to update the Network's visitor information web site. (Note new address: www.discovermainemountains.com). With funding from the Maine Scenic Byways Program, MCH has hired artist Barbara Sullivan to establish a collection of images by artists of the region to be presented on the web site. The collection is coming together nicely and should be ready for online viewing very soon. For more information about this project or to suggest ways in which your local area or interest could be better represented on the web site (through the work of a local artist or any other way), contact Erika Bohlman and Mountain Counties Heritage ebohlman@mainemountains.org. Project Spotlight: The Western Maine Farm Fund By Erika Bohlman, Mountain Counties Heritage, Inc. A LOAN WITH LOCAL ROOTS - In partnership with five local lenders, the Western Mountains Alliance provides a low-interest loan program that targets farmers in Maine's western mountains with "reasonable" credit histories. The Maine Mountain Heritage Area (which includes Oxford, Franklin, Somerset, and Piscataquis counties) holds a rich agricultural heritage that has traditionally been made up of small family-owned operations with farm sizes averaging about 200 acres. This tradition continues today, and according to the New England Agricultural Statistics Service there were still 1153 working farms in the region in 1997. By nature, farm incomes are generally seasonal and are subject to fluctuation. Unfortunately this unpredictability creates bank reluctance to make agricultural loans; at the same time, the application process can be intimidating to farmers who know the banks consider their occupation to be high risk. There are opportunities for farmers to obtain fixed low interest loans through governmental institutions but access to additional capital to purchase new equipment or make repairs sometimes becomes a necessity. The Western Maine Farm Fund is a niche program that guarantees loans ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 at a fixed rate of 4.5 percent to qualified farmers in a timely fashion. The five local participating banks which include Bangor Savings, Franklin Savings, Skowhegan Savings, UnitedKingfield, and Androscoggin Bank, also win through this program because the loans are 100% guaranteed and they receive an "interest rate differential" for participating. "Most farmers – including myself – usually have trouble borrowing from a bank because their collateral is tied up. I was glad to be able to work with a local bank that was willing to take a chance on me." says a Franklin County farmer who learned of the program through an article in the Maine Farmer. According to Jo Josephson, Director of Projects and Communications at the Western Mountains Alliance, "The Farm Fund made its first guarantee a year ago and since then it has guaranteed eight loans from Franklin Savings, UnitedKingfield and Androscoggin banks ranging from $6,000 to $25,000 for a total of $143,000 to farmers in Oxford, Franklin and Piscataquis counties." For more information on the Western Maine Farm Fund contact Deb Burd, director of the Western Mountains Alliance at 207-778-7274 or visit www.westernmountainsalliance.org.

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