Building Community Strength Through Collaborative Planning in Rural Maine

Capacity for planning - for economic development, extreme weather, conservation or housing - is a challenge across rural America and in Maine. And while the Biden Administration has made significant federal funds available to address these challenges through various programs, small municipalities with limited staff often do not have the time or expertise to navigate sometimes byzantine grant application processes.

The 3-year “Building Community Strength” (BCS) program, launched late last year, is designed to address this challenge. It provides technical and financial assistance to ten rural communities across Maine to build local planning capacity: Calais, Danforth, Enfield, Houlton, Machias, Mexico, Presque Isle, Roque Bluffs, Skowhegan, and Winn. In addition, it includes five joint two-day workshops around six training modules: Community Planning 101, Housing, Farmland Protection and Open Space, Economic Development, Climate Resilience, and Financing.

The program is delivered by GrowSmart Maine in cooperation with Eastern Maine Development Corporation, The Musson Group, North-Star Planning and Sunrise County Economic Council. Additional expertise is provided by partners such as the Genesis Fund and Build Maine as relevant. The program is funded by USDA: Rural Development and American Farmland Trust. The USDA recently featured the Maine project on their website, on the “Success Stories” page. Check out - Building Community Strength Ten Rural Towns at a Time: GrowSmart Maine Brings Local Leaders to the Table.

“At USDA Rural Development we were thrilled when GrowSmart Maine agreed to collaborate with us in their role as Maine’s Rural Development Council.” Rhiannon Hampson USDA Rural Development Maine State Director, said. “It is the spirit of collaboration between small towns that really makes Maine special. That spirit is exemplified right here in this room, and it is one of the surest ways to build community strength. Now is the time to be aspirational! GrowSmart Maine and Rural Development are here to help Maine’s rural communities realize the goals that they imagine for themselves.”

The first workshop, held at the Bangor Public Library on April 25th and 26th, focused primarily on Community Planning - how to lead and work with your community to manage change - but also served as an opportunity to meet in person, build networks, and learn from each other. The “trainees” were town managers, select board members, community representatives, and economic development directors. The workshop was also an opportunity for representatives from the towns to meet in-person with state and federal officials through a “speed-dating” session - where towns could outline their priorities and identify funding opportunities based on state and federal programs and priorities.

Proactive planning and community engagement are critical for communities to grow in ways that make sense. To that end, one of the attendees remarked, “we’ve got to see change as a chance, not something to fear. When we shape our future, we’re building the communities we dream of.” Noel Musson, Principal at the Musson Group concurred, “process is equally important with the product, and a good process creates a good product.”

Upcoming Workshop and Additional Information

The next workshop will be hosted by the Town of Machias in September/October and focus on Housing, Open Space and Farmland Protection. The Workshop aims to provide participants with the essential knowledge and resources to develop municipal policies and ordinances that enable housing that will meet community needs, while also protecting assets such as farmland, habitat, and open space. The workshop will include sessions on funding and technical assistance opportunities, as well as case studies and site visits.

Learn more about the program and upcoming offerings here: www.buildingcommunitystrength.org or contact Program Director Harald Bredesen at 207-248-8166 or hbredesen@growsmartmaine.org.

Want to learn more about Housing challenges in rural Maine? Listen to Building Community Strength participants calling in to Maine Calling talking about their experiences from Calais, Danforth and Houlton.