BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 31, 2025
When Pineland Farms of New Gloucester and the Libra Foundation stopped funding the Fort Kent Outdoor Center last year and gave the facility back to the board of directors, the group knew a challenge lay ahead. Now, they need to come up with approximately $140,000 in annual funding if they want to keep the operation and its programs intact. The Fort Kent facility, along with the Nordic Heritage Outdoor Center in Presque Isle, were created in 1998 as part of the Maine Winter Sports Center. The center not only trains athletes and hosts local and international meets, but is an all-around recreation resource that helps draw people to the St. John Valley and Aroostook County as a whole. The board aims to put $2.4 million into an endowment, using the interest to generate annual funding to replace what Libra provided.