Senator Collins Announces $15 Million for Northern Border Regional Commission

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $15 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), an increase of $5 million over the previous year. 

The funding was included in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, on which Senator Collins serves as a senior member. The Committee also approved language specifying that at least $3 million of that funding be used to address the decline in forest-based economies throughout the four-state region.

“The Northern Border Regional Commission is a critical source of investment for northern Maine communities, helping to grow their economies and create jobs,” said Senator Collins. “I am encouraged that this bill increases support for this important organization, including additional funding to bolster the forest products industry.”

Created by Congress in 2008, the NBRC is a federal-state partnership that was designed to help alleviate economic distress and encourage private sector job creation throughout the northern counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. NBRC investments in Maine from 2010-2016 totaled nearly $5.5 million.

The Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill will now be considered by the full Senate.