ORONO (AP) – Cutting taxes, improving the job situation and promoting the University of Maine are three ways of keeping more young Mainers from leaving the state, participants in a weekend forum said.

Gov. John Baldacci believes too many young adults are leaving the state as its population ages, and he wants more young people to stay, return home or move to Maine.

Maine experienced a net loss of more than 6,000 people between 20 and 34 years old between 1995 and 2000, according to the State Planning Office and the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine.

Out-of-state migration of young people threatens to stall Maine’s economy and stunt the growth of its communities.

Ideas on how to keep young people in Maine were generated Saturday at the summit on youth migration at the University of Maine. About 200 people attended and about 100 offered suggestions online.

“It’s all about you, it’s your state,” Gov. John Baldacci told the crowd. “It’s about giving you an opportunity to play a role in making sure the future is your future in this state.”

Baldacci plans to convene a special cabinet of state officials to take up suggestions that came forth Saturday, and a group of young leaders from the summit will be asked help fashion new policy.

Summit participants said the state university system and private colleges need to be strengthened, and they called for partnerships that lead to work in Maine after graduation.

Some suggested that the state build co-ops to help create more small businesses for young people who can’t find work in other sectors.

Also suggested was a refocusing of state money for tourism in order to attract diverse industries as well as vacationers, a renewed attention to diversity issues in the state and a more inclusive health care system.

AP-ES-06-20-04 1231EDT