BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Maine’s congressional delegation wants the federal government to distribute million of dollars in coronavirus relief for the logging industry.
The four-member delegation said Monday the U.S. Department of Agriculture must quickly provide $200 million in relief money slated for logging and log hauling businesses. The aid was part of the December coronavirus relief package, the delegation said.
The delegation wrote a letter to the USDA that said “it is critical that you use every authority available to distribute this relief quickly to those who desperately need it.”
The members said the logging industry has suffered a decline in demand for wood fiber since the beginning of the pandemic. The industry has experienced an estimated 20% or greater drop in timber harvest this year, the delegation said.
–Associated Press
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