In the spring of 2016 residents of Skowhegan came together to share ideas for the future of our town. As a result of these discussions, the Skowhegan Strategic Plan for Community Transformation was drafted, and voters adopted the plan at the June 2016 town meeting.

The ultimate goal of the strategic plan is for Skowhegan to become a thriving economic, cultural, and recreational destination where residents are active, healthy, and they enjoy a high quality of life. In order to achieve this goal, several objectives and strategies were developed, including a strategy specifically devoted to enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities and promoting natural resources. In 2017, the importance of recreation to our region was reemphasized by residents during the Somerset County Rural Cultural Plan process.

The Town of Skowhegan, Main Street Skowhegan, and several other groups in town, are focused on outdoor recreation as a tool for community development. To that end, two projects are underway to help Skowhegan achieve community transformation through outdoor recreation: the Skowhegan AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program, an initiative that will provide outdoor recreation activities, programming, and trainings free-of-charge to our community members,  and the Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area, a recreation facility in downtown Skowhegan that will include a whitewater park for paddling, surfing, tubing, bodyboarding, stand-up paddle boarding, and more, as well as an estimated 50 miles of trails on 300 acres for use year-round.