ORONO, Maine - Maine is getting more than $4 million in federal funding aimed at diversifying the state's economy and helping rural communities that have been hurt by paper mill closures in the last few years.
Matt Erskine, deputy secretary of commerce for economic development, announced the funding Friday at the University of Maine. Recipients include the Maine Development Foundation, the city of Bangor and the Central Maine Community College.
Erskine also said an Economic Development Assessment Team will spend three days in eastern Maine next month to evaluate new and existing strategies to address the state's forest-based economic challenges.