Mass Timber in Maine: A Strategic Opportunity for Climate Action and Economic Growth

Mass timber is a category of engineered wood products that serve as a practical, low-carbon alternative to steel and concrete in modern construction. Demand for these materials is accelerating across the Northeast, yet domestic supply remains limited.

Maine’s abundant forest resources and long-standing forest products industry position the state to grow a mass timber sector that supports high-quality jobs, strengthens rural economies, and helps lower emissions associated with construction. Regional research and initiatives, including a report by UMaine commissioned by the Legislature, find that targeted policy support, strategic investment, and market development could help unlock this potential.

Join Jennifer Shakun (Bioeconomy Initiative Director) and Vanessa Komada (Wood Sourcing Specialist) from the New England Forestry Foundation to learn more about mass timber and what regional studies have found about its environmental and economic potential. We’re also excited to be joined by Representative Samuel Zager of Portland, who will share an update on the mass timber bond bill and what it could mean for advancing this work in Maine.