There has long been hand-wringing over the large number of young people leaving Maine. In fact, newly elected Gov. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain cited business attraction and youth out-migration as his top two priorities in his inaugural speech in 1867. Now, more than 130 years later, the fretting has finally evolved beyond study commissions and academic research to action with the recent launch of REALIZE! Maine.

This effort is different, and therefore has a better chance at success, for a variety of reasons. The biggest is that it focuses the state’s energies where they can most make a difference. For years, much energy was spent on trying to keep high school graduates in Maine for college. The numbers, however, show that Maine is about average in terms of the percentage of college-aged people who move away. This is an age when young adults are eager to see the world, an urge that should be encouraged. The problem for Maine comes after college when the state fails to bring back its young people, or to entice those from other states to come here to live.

Between 1990 and 2000, there was a statewide decline of 22 percent among the state’s population aged 20 to 34. In many regions of the state, especially in northern Maine, the decline was even larger. This means Maine must try harder to encourage young people, especially those who have completed college and may be starting a family, to come here to live.

This is exactly the aim of REALIZE! Maine. The effort, which includes on-line exchanges and a youth summit Saturday at the University of Maine, aims to find ways to entice those between the ages of 20 and 34 to the Pine Tree State. Recent data suggest they could be successful. After declines in the 1990s, estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show net in-migration of nearly 3,400 people aged 18 to 34 between 2000 and 2002.

Another unique aspect of this initiative is that it is turning to the target age group, rather than middle-aged politicians or consultants, to craft solutions. Already, young professionals who have returned to, or never left, Maine are sharing stories about why they have chosen to live here. One common theme is the need to debunk the notion that living in Maine, rather than say a big city, is a sign of failure or lack of ambition. As people in the target group realize there are lots of their peers living and succeeding here, that notion is likely to fade.

Maine has many advantages to market to young professionals – safety, low housing costs, outdoor recreation opportunities, good schools. However, it is competing with many other states to attract educated adults, especially those who have or may start their own businesses, so its message must be on target.

This is another area where REALIZE! Maine is thankfully realistic. Although it is targeting a fairly broad age range, the initiative’s backers already know that the message they send to a 20-year-old will be very different from that aimed at a 34-year-old. This may seem like a small point, but it is one that has been missed by prior efforts.

Enticing young people to live here has long been a problem that can’t be changed overnight. This effort, however, shows much promise and, if it maintains its current youthful energy and enthusiasm, may finally achieve what Gov. Chamberlain was unable to.