Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) at an Event at the Irish Heritage Center in Portland Several Years Ago

The Inflation Reduction Act Was Passed during the President Joe Biden Administration..

Late this week, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) announced more than $13,2.million is coming to Maine to support private forestland management and conservation.

The grants for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) and the New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) are among awards totalling $335 million for state agencies and nonprofit organizations across the country.  Made possible thanks to investments from the Inflation Reducation Act, the grants aim to strengthen financial incentives for private forest landowners to support sustainable forest management and resilence.

“Maine’s forests are not only vital to our economy, but also play a critical role in combating climate change and supporting biodiversity,” said Pingree.  “Thanks to the Inflration Reduction Act this funding will help landowners in Maine adopt sustainable practices like managing invasive species and enhancing carbon sequestration.  By supporting resilent ecosystems, we can ensure that Maine’s forests remain a thriving source of economic and environmental benefits for generations to come.”

Funding for Maine Includes:  $9,000,000 for Maine DACF and $4,282,900 for NEFF.

“Forests provide innumerable benefits to people and communities and private forestlands make up more than half of all forests in the US,” said Tom Vilsack, Department of Agriculture Secretary.  “Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act we are helping to provide the resources private forest landowners need to keep forests working so that future generations of Americans will be able to enjoy all the benefits they provide.”