Maine is the second most rural state in the U.S., with over 61 percent of the population living in a rural part of the state, according to the 2020 Census.
A member of the Rural News Network, The Maine Monitor regularly covers rural issues — including dedicated coverage of Franklin, Oxford, Somerset and Washington counties.
Maine’s heat pump boom has been promising for rural workforce development. Can it last?
Maine has had success in adopting heat pumps across the state, and jobs have grown quickly — particularly in rural areas. But as the state approaches big deadlines for heat pump installation and bolstering its clean energy workforce,…
Maine lawmakers considering new dam safety reforms
The measures include bolstering the state’s enforcement actions, expanding mapping efforts and updating the pay scale for Maine’s chief dam inspector.
Washington County wreath-making company fined nearly $16,000 for worker housing violations
Over the past four years, Worcester Resources has racked up more than $50,000 in federal fines for workplace safety and record-keeping infractions.
Counties and municipalities have spent about $7 million of their opioid settlement funds so far
The money has gone to residential treatment program scholarships, mental health liaisons in police departments and a recovery center in Alfred.
With new techniques, landowners shape forests for maximum carbon storage
Many of the Maine woods have been cut so hard that reshaping them for carbon storage will be neither quick nor easy.
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