$10 Million for UMaine Forest Biomaterials Innovation Center Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bill
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $10 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for the University of Maine (UMaine) Forest Biomaterials Innovation Center in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.
“The brilliant faculty and students at the University of Maine have made promising discoveries in a wide variety of fields, including forestry,” said Senator Collins. “Through the establishment of the Center, this funding would support the University's continued innovative work in Maine’s forest products industry, through the establishment of this Innovation Center. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”
“Global demand for renewable and sustainable materials is at an all-time high, and Maine’s forests have the potential to support a $12 billion industry,” said UMaine Process Development Center Director Colleen Walker. “This federal funding would enable us to expand our Forest Biomaterials Innovation Center so that public and private sector researchers, including our Black Bear students, can work together to accelerate development and commercialization of these innovations. We are grateful for Senator Collins’ continued dedication to research and development to help all of us create forest-based solutions that will benefit our planet, utilize Maine’s skilled workforce, and revitalize rural communities.”
If approved, this $10 million investment would help establish the UMaine Forest Biomaterials Innovation Center and support the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment for the demonstration of new technologies using wood fiber and residuals at pilot scale. Construction would include building a 10,000-square-foot facility on the existing University of Maine Process Development Center, allowing access to pulp handling and equipment to process these materials.
This funding advanced through the markup of the FY24 CJS appropriations bill—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate. Committee consideration of legislation is a key part of regular order, which helps our government function efficiently and deliver results for the people of Maine and America.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $500 million for hundreds of Maine projects for FY2022 and FY2023. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.
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