Industry Market Analysis: Outdoor Rec & Local Food
In June, nonprofit Main Street Skowhegan hired—thanks to grant funding from the Maine Community Foundation—economic development consulting firm Camoin Associates to conduct an industry market analysis for Skowhegan. Camoin will focus research and analysis on the outdoor recreation and local food sectors to identify opportunities for business development and economic growth in these industries. Findings will be shared with community leaders, business owners, developers, and new entrepreneurs.
As the outdoor recreation economy continues to show growth around the country, now is the time for Skowhegan to take advantage of this trend—especially with the future addition of Run of River, a whitewater paddle and surf park in Skowhegan’s downtown river gorge.
Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Pilot Program
The industry market analysis dovetails nicely with the Community Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Pilot Program, a project currently underway in Skowhegan. Led by Kristina Cannon of Main Street Skowhegan, a team of community members, is assessing the support systems available to entrepreneurs, determining gaps, and drafting a plan to improve Skowhegan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Armed with data from the industry market analysis and grant funding from the Maine Community Foundation, the Skowhegan team will implement projects from the plan to that will strengthen support for new and existing entrepreneurs and encourage new investment in Skowhegan.
Skowhegan was selected as one of three Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Pilot Program communities in the state of Maine. Many thanks to the Maine Community Foundation, Maine Downtown Center, and National Main Street Center for making this project possible.
Please contact Kristina Cannon (kristina@mainstreetskowhegan.org) at Main Street Skowhegan for more details about either of these projects.
Run of River received a $2,500 grant from a donor-advised fund through the Maine Community Foundation. Many thanks to this philanthropic individual!
The Run of River Committee has hired Pepperchrome, a firm from Portland that designed renderings for Waterville’s riverwalk, to create new renderings for Run of River that will showcase the whitewater park, riverfront promenade, and expanded trail network. The renderings will also help combat misnomers that the park is intended for whitewater rafting—which is not the case. Renderings will show kayakers, surfers, bodyboarders, tubers, and other river users, but NOT rafts. We can’t wait to roll out the new renderings this coming spring!
Main Street Skowhegan Executive Director Kristina Cannon and Skowhegan Town Manager Christine Almand traveled to Columbus, Georgia in September 2019 to learn more about the downtown Chattahoochee River whitewater park designed by McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group—the architect Skowhegan has hired for Run of River. During the trip, Kristina and Christine learned about construction best practices and creative ROI methods that would enable the Town to generate revenue from the whitewater park—while still allowing individuals to use the park for free. Check out their pics below to learn more!
Main Street Skowhegan Executive Director Kristina Cannon and Skowhegan Town Manager Christine Almand took a trip to whitewater parks in Bend, Oregon and Boise, Idaho, in July 2019 to learn more about in-river surf waves and the increasing popularity of river surfing. They were enthralled to see the number of surfers waiting in line to surf the wave outnumber the number of kayakers using the feature. As a result, Skowhegan is now planning for a surf wave at the second feature. Check out the pics from their trip below!
The Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Quimby Family Foundation to fund next steps of the whitewater park project.
The grant was awarded as part of the 2019 Quimby Family Foundation Movement Cycle, a grant focus area dedicated to “creating and supporting 
opportunities for people to consistently choose, and meaningfully experience, nearby nature and wilderness through movement and activity.”
The Quimby Family Foundation award brings the total amount raised for Run of River in 2019 to $85,090, including;
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- $20,000 Quimby Family Foundation Grant
- $31,000 anonymous donation
- $24,090 Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund Grant
- $10,000 Davis Conservation Foundation Grant
Total raised for the project in the last two years is nearly $200,000.
Greetings from Skowhegan!
With lots of great things happening and momentum building, we thought it was due time for us to start sharing regular updates about Skowhegan’s vision for community transformation through outdoor recreation. This vision consists of two major initiatives: the Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area and the Skowhegan AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program. This is the first installment of many forthcoming updates, so be sure to check back monthly. Or consider joining the email list so you’ll get news delivered directly to your inbox.
This post will be a bit longer than future updates, since I want to bring everyone up to speed with where things stand now, in addition to sharing recent updates and successes.
Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area Update
Drum roll please … we have fantastic news to share!
Run of River was just awarded $24,090 from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and $10,000 from the Davis Conservation Foundation! We are so thrilled and can’t thank the commission at MOHF and the Davis Conservation Foundation enough for their support of this project. In fact, this is the second Run of River grant from the Davis Conservation Foundation – they awarded $15,000 to Run of River back in 2017, which helped start the ball rolling again with the project.
These recent grant awards bring the total raised in 2019 up to $65,090 (we received a generous anonymous $31,000 donation back in February), and increases the total raised in the last year to $158,090.
We have several hundred thousand dollars in other grants pending, so fingers crossed that we have more good news to announce in the near future.
Now let’s back up a bit, and I’ll put things in perspective.
Here’s where things stand with Run of River (yes, things are happening!):
- We have a goal of constructing at least features 1 and 2 (two most up-river features nearest downtown) in the summer of 2021. This timing coincides with the installation of a new fish lift at Weston Dam, and thus the water will be lower in the gorge. Because we have to do construction in the dry, it’s important to have the river as low as possible.
- Next steps for the project (in addition to fundraising) are: gather final data in the gorge and create 3D models using that data. We also need to work on a constructability plan – how we plan to keep the water at bay when we get in to the river to construct the features. Once we have the models and constructability plan ready for prime time, we’ll submit them to permitting agencies (federal and state) along with permit applications. Permitting is expected to take one to two years.
- In January, we convened a group of Run of River Ambassadors. We’ve now met twice (once in January and once in May). This group is knowledgeable about the project and where things stand with Run of River and the Skowhegan AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program, and they’re able to share this info with others. We hope that by increasing awareness, we can increase support and eventually funding.
Skowhegan AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program Update
As of this week, the Skowhegan AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program is in full swing! Thanks to our partnership with the Outdoor Sport Institute (OSI) and to funding from AmeriCorps, Main Street Skowhegan has a plan 
for getting people outside and active (for free!), AND we have people to implement that plan.
Since this past fall, Main Street Skowhegan and our Skowhegan OSI Team have done the following:
- Completed the outdoor recreation action plan for Skowhegan
- Were awarded AmeriCorps funding to enroll three members to implement the action plan (now called the Skowhegan AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program)
- Were awarded $1,500 from Sappi to run the AmeriCorps program (thanks, Sappi!)
- Enrolled three AmeriCorps Members – Outdoor
Recreation Coaches. Last week was their first full week! - Started implementation of the program – FREE outdoor recreation programming for the community began June 3! You can find this week’s schedule here.
Opportunities to Get Involved
Want to join the outdoor recreation movement in Skowhegan? We have a number of ways you can take part:
- Join us for free outdoor activities! Check out the schedule here.
- Volunteer to run a free outdoor program for the community (email me at Kristina@mainstreetskowhegan.org).
- Join us on Friday, June 21, for Pickup, Paddle, and Pizza – an event we’re coordinating in partnership with the United Way of Mid-Maine. We’ll be gathering at 2 p.m. to clean up the river and trails in downtown Skowhegan. Then we’ll enjoy a fun paddle down through the gorge and a social hour (with pizza!) at the Miller’s Table. Check out the Facebook event here.
- If you want to support Skowhegan’s community transformation through outdoor recreation initiatives via a monetary donation, you can do that by clicking the links below:
Donate to support the Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area
Donate to support the Skowhegan AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program
Enjoy the sunshine!
Kristina
Kristina Cannon
Executive Director, Main Street Skowhegan
Run of River Committee
Skowhegan, Maine—An anonymous donor recently gave $31,000 for the Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area, a proposed whitewater park and expanded trails network that will be located in and around the Kennebec River Gorge in downtown Skowhegan.
The $31,000 donation brings the total raised for Run of River in the last nine months up to $124,000. This includes a $25,000 grant from the Quimby Family Foundation, a $25,000 matching gift from a Maine Community Foundation Donor Advised Fund, $40,000 from the Somerset County Tax Increment Financing Community Benefits Fund, and $3,000 raised via Skowhegan River Fest event proceeds.
“We’re so grateful to the donor for this amazing gift,” said Kristina Cannon, Run of River Committee member and Main Street Skowhegan executive director. “We can’t thank them enough for believing in Skowhegan, this project, and the vision for community transformation through outdoor recreation.”
The committee will use the donation to help cover costs of required permits from state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Total permitting costs are expected to be $180,000. The committee hopes to apply for permits this summer, and has submitted several grant applications to raise the remaining $149,000.
Prior to applying for permits, final field work in the downtown river gorge must be completed—a project that was intended for November 2018 but was stalled by the early onset of winter weather. Data gathered from the field survey in the gorge will be used to create computer-generated 3D hydraulic models for fisheries review—a requirement by permitting agencies. Grant funding previously raised will cover the cost of field work and modeling.
The committee is planning for construction of the whitewater park— three whitewater features for playboating, surfing, and tubing; access trails; and terraced seating—during the summer of 2021, which will coincide with the installation of a fish passage apparatus at upriver Weston Dam and ensure low water levels in the Skowhegan gorge.
Total funds raised for the $5.3 million whitewater park now exceed $1.56 million. In addition to pursuing grant funding, the committee is gearing up for a major fundraising campaign to help raise the additional $3.7 million.
For more information, please check out RunofRiver.org or contact Kristina Cannon at Kristina@mainstreetskowhegan.org or 207-612-2571.
Full-time AmeriCorps members will help implement the Skowhegan AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program. Thanks to Doug Harlow for this article about it:
The project is certainly gaining momentum. Check out this Fox22/ABC7 report for more info: