Maine Policy Review publishes timely, independent, peer-reviewed analysis of public policy issues relevant to the state of Maine. The journal is published two times per year by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine and the Margaret Chase Smith Foudation. It is intended for a diverse audience, including state policymakers; government, business, and nonprofit leaders; students; and general readers with a broad interest in public policy.
ISSN 1064-2587 (print) E-ISSN 2643-959X (online)Current Issue: Volume 34, Issue 2 (2025) Rural Maine
Front Matter
Letter from the Editors
Linda Silka, Tora Johnson, Joyce Rumery, and Barbara Harrity
Essay
The Case for Rural Prosperity
Rhiannon Hampson
Articles
Recent Changes in Access to Care among Adults in Rural Maine
Zoe A. Becker and Jordan H. Rhodes
The "Two Maines" Revisited
David J. Vail and Ann Acheson
Are We There Yet? Changing Migration Patterns in Rural Maine and Implications for Long-Term Population Growth
Amanda K. Rector and Megan R. Bailey
Maine’s Rural Maternity Crisis: A Policy Agenda
Dora Anne Mills
Public Health Concerns at the Intersection of Drinking Water Contamination and Low Healthcare Access in Maine
Alexis C. Garretson, Alexandra Duffy, Richard Hilliard, Ashley Taylor, Caitlin Oliver-Olsen, Morgan Karns, and Jane Disney
Exploring Rural Municipal Governments’ Grant Capacity
Vanessa R. Levesque, Eileen Sylvan Johnson, Jessica Leahy, and Kathleen P. Bell
Tradition in Transition: Fishing, Hunting, and Food Security in a Changing Maine
Melissa J. Godin, Caroline L. Noblet, Carissa H. Furtado, Mir Rafiul Ahmed, A. Dianne Kopec, Molly Shea, Godsway Amegbor, Tegwin K. Taylor, and Kory Whittum
Embedded Environmentalism: Understanding Rural Resistance to Renewable Energy in Maine
Nicholas F. Jacobs and Joseph A. Grassi
Amplifying Rural Voices in Maine Climate Planning
J. Cressica Brazier, Sharon J.W. Klein, Jasmine Lamb, Caroline L. Noblet, Louise Chaplin, Sonia Leone, Catherine Mardosa, David Hart, Linda Silka, and Natalie Michelle
The Role of Volunteerism in Bolstering Community Climate Capacity: A Case Study Approach to Explore Opportunities for Rural Maine
Gayle Bowness, Stephanie Sun, Sienna Zuco, Evan Paris, and Ella Madden
Challenges and Opportunities for Climate Action in Rural Maine
Tora Johnson and Brooke Hachey
Small Rural Town Revitalization in Maine: Test Pilot of the SEED Model
Nory Jones and Manuel Wörsdörfer
Maine’s Brownfields: The Costs and Contexts of Rural and Urban Brownfields Redevelopment
Taylor Lange and Nefeli M. Bompoti
Stormwater Management Challenges in Rural Coastal Maine: Identifying Place-Based Solutions by Studying Current Practices
Alisha Shrestha, Tora Johnson, Shaleen Jain, and Jessica Jansujwicz
Rural Resilience: The Role for Innovative Public Transportation
Connor J. Evans-Ralston, Kathleen Spear, and Jonathan Rubin
Recreation and Regulation: A Policy Analysis of the Registered Maine Guide Program
Lauren E. Jacobs, Adam Daigneault, and Jackson Varley
Perspectives from Rural Maine Educators: Supporting and Inspiring Youth Through Place-Based Education
Rachel C. Wolf, Molly Meserve Auclair, Leigh Peake, Katrina Heimbach, Erin LaPlante, Colleen Maker, and Tonya Prentice
Interview
Interview with Jennifer Blossom
Linda Silka
Commentaries
Maine’s Old Apple Trees Show Us the Way
John Bunker
Maine’s Farms and Farmland: The Foundation of a Rural Future
Stacy Brenner, Abby Farnham, Emily Gherman-Lad, and Shelley Megquier
Youth Voices on Aligning Aspirations and Opportunities to Grow Maine’s Rural Workforce
Jessica Leahy, Mindy Crandall, and Stephany Perkins
Deeply Rooted: Changing Representations of Maine’s Forests and Rural Histories
Carter Emerson and Bridie McGreavy
University of Maine System’s Rural Issues Symposium: Highlighting and Connecting Issues Facing Rural Maine Communities
Jennifer Bonnet, Catharine Biddle, and Vanessa Levesque
Beyond the Breaking Point: Maine’s Behavioral Health Workforce Crisis
Emily Stultz and Bridget Monteith
From Resilience Planning to Action: Small Towns and Big Costs
Bill Zoellick, James H. Fisher, and Janna Richards
Blazing a Trail for Rural Entrepreneurship: Promise and Challenge in Maine’s Outdoor Recreation Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Mikayla Reynolds, Jens Kaus, and Jason S. Entsminger
Place-Based Strategies for Economic Resilience in Rural Northern Maine
Kristen Henry, Jay Kamm, Jared Tapley, and Jon Gulliver
Islands on the Edge: Resilience and Risk in Maine’s Year-Round Island Communities
Jennifer R. Seavey Dr
Education as a Rural, Public Good: Preparing Maine’s People, Families, Schools and Communities for the Opportunities of Tomorrow
Catharine Biddle and Ezekiel Kimball
Designing Educational Opportunities that Inspire Youth Aspirations and Strengthen Rural Community Vitality
Korah Soll, Val Peacock, Sara King, and Dawna Blackstone
STEM Nights in Rural Maine: Connecting Classrooms, Careers, and Communities
Kate Mahan and Rachael Dektor
Meeting Essential and Quality of Life Needs of Rural Older Mainers through the Community Connector Pilot
Kimberly I. Snow MHSA; Mary Lou Ciolfi JD, MS; and Patricia Oh PhD, MSW
Therapeutic Adventure as a Scalable, Accessible Solution to Maine’s Youth Mental Health Crisis
Shannon Parker
Research Briefs
Assessing the Needs of Southern Maine Farmers: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Role of Extension
Ankit K. Singh
Rural Public Libraries in Maine: Getting Ready for Broadband Infrastructure and Online Life
Amy Stone
Back Matter
