“Working with my colleagues from around the region always proves to be enormously helpful and productive,” Jones said. “We're all concerned with similar issues, and there is a lot to gain by taking what has worked elsewhere and applying it to our efforts here in Maine.”

“Since I have been in New Hampshire, I have taken several scenic train rides. Clearly, excursion trains have come to New Hampshire and are a great success here.” Jones noted. “We must all work hand in hand with Acadia Rail, who is coming to Greenville, in order to insure an equally successful excursion train industry, both for Piscataquis County and for the State of Maine.”

Other issues the delegates tackled include agriculture, juvenile justice, transportation and education finance.

In addition to discussing state policy, delegates passed a number of resolutions supporting policies beneficial to the Northeast. Among them are: increased Amtrak capital funding, continued support for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, renewed advocacy for the Northeast Dairy compact, and strengthened energy efficiency standards for air conditioners.

The Council of state Governments is the nation's only regionally based state services organization working with all three branches of government. The Eastern Regional Conference was established in 1937 and includes: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, the Virgin Islands, and the Eastern Canadian provinces of Labrador, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia. Prince Edward Island and Québec. The mission of the group is to provide a forum for new ideas; promote successful state policy innovations; advocate multijurisdictional problem solving; offer leadership training and technical assistance; serve as a catalyst for public/private dialog; and forecast policy trends affecting the region.