SNOWE, COLLINS ANNOUNCE $378,000 IN RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE FUNDING FOR MAINE

U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program has granted $378,000 in Rural Business Enterprise Grant funding for three Maine entities.

The funding is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Senators Snowe and Collins worked with a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law in February.

Specifically, the funding will be allocated as follows:

• Town of Madison - $50,000
• Town of Greenville - $253,000
• Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Inc., - $75,000

"USDA Rural Development grants provide opportunities for rural communities across Maine to improve their communities and boost economic growth," Senators Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement.

The USDA Rural Development program provides loans and grants to help improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The funds are used for community programs, which seek to construct or improve community facilities for health care, public safety, and public services.