FARMINGTON – The Western Maine Sustainable Development Collaborative will host a Thursday, April 29, day-long, interactive conference to consider the future of communities and economies in the mountain region of Maine.

The conference, “Maximizing Shared Assets in Western Maine,” will take place at the Olson Student Center, University of Maine at Farmington.

Residents as well as municipal and county officials, legislators, economic developers and educators in Oxford, Franklin, Somerset and Piscataquis counties are encouraged to participate ($15 registration fee includes lunch).

The conference, sponsored in part by the National Rural Funders Collaborative, will address the following questions: How can we collaborate across our four counties to benefit our region as a whole? How can we turn current trends into great opportunities for a prosperous future? How can we more fully use our shared assets (land, buildings and money) to benefit our local communities?

Leading the discussion of trends will be Tim Glidden of the Land for Maine’s Future Board, Darcy Rollins of the Maine Downtown Center and Yellow Light Breen of Bangor Savings Bank.

Stories of innovation and collaboration will be told by Amy Scott of the Mahoosuc Land Trust, Gayle Watson of the Friends of Community Fitness and Wendy Penley of the Maine Community Foundation.

Martha Freeman, director of the Maine Planning Office, will make the opening address. Cynthia “Mil” Duncan, who is recognized nationally for her work on rural poverty, will address the luncheon.

The Western Maine Sustainable Development Collaborative is comprised of Mountain Counties Heritage Inc., the Western Mountains Alliance, Maine Center for Economic Policy and Coastal Enterprises Inc. Its purpose is to harness and encourage multiple efforts to achieve regional sustainable development that balances economic, environmental and community values.

To register contact the alliance at 778-7274. The $15 registration fee includes lunch. Need-based scholarships are available.