Pine State News

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $107,000 for the reconstruction of Patten Lumbermen’s Museum in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture and Rural Development appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 22, 2023, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.

“Throughout Maine’s history, our forest products industry has supported good-paying jobs and driven local economies,” said Senator Collins.  “The Patten Lumbermen’s Museum plays a vital role in carrying on the legacies of the skilled, hard-working men and women who have sustained this industry that serves as an economic engine throughout Maine’s rural communities.  As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to champion this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”

The Patten Lumbermen’s Museum is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to recording and preserving the memory of Maine’s distinguished lumberjacks.  This funding will allow the Patten Lumbermen’s Museum to replace a 60-year-old facility that currently houses historic lumber equipment. 

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.

Original source can be found here.