AUGUSTA – The Rumford River Valley Communities Wood Stove Changeout Program of the American Lung Association of the Northeast now includes the towns of Farmington and Wilton. The program provides for a voucher valued at $1,000 to replace their non‐EPA certified woodstove with a new EPA certified wood, pellet or gas stove. Locally, Northern Lights Hearth and Sports of Farmington is participating in the changeout program.
The purpose of the changeout program is to improve outdoor and indoor air quality by removing old, high polluting low efficiency wood stoves and replacing them with cleaner burning, more efficient EPA‐certified wood, pellet or gas stoves. The American Lung Association of the Northeast has long been committed to reducing residents’ exposure to wood smoke.
“Replacing older high polluting stoves with new ones is an important way for communities to reduce particle pollution,” said Jeff Seyler, president and CEO of the American Lung Association of the Northeast.
Based on consumer interest, the program now covers the towns of Andover, Byron, Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Farmington, Hanover, Mexico, Peru, Roxbury, Rumford and Wilton.
The Rumford River Valley Communities wood stove changeout program was launched in September 2015 as the first of its kind in Maine. To date, 21 people have changed out their older high polluting wood stove. Barbara Reutter of Wilton is one of the people who benefitted from the program expansion to Wilton and Farmington this year.
“I’d been thinking about replacing my wood stove for some time and the voucher helped offset the costs of the new stove,” Reutter said.
The wood stove changeout program lowers particle pollution emissions in the area and supports local retail stove businesses who are working with the American Lung Association of the Northeast. Participating retailers are Buy the Fire in Oxford, Don’s Chimney Care and Stove Shop in Livermore and Northern Lights Hearth and Sports in Farmington.
Marty Farnum and Todd Richard, co‐owners of Northern Lights Hearth and Sports in Farmington said “combining the voucher with other manufacturer offers makes the switch to a more efficient wood, pellet or gas stove cost effective and easy.”

Homeowners who live in the project area can apply for a voucher, valued at $1,000, to replace their non‐EPA certified woodstove with a new EPA certified wood, pellet or gas stove. Applications for the vouchers are available in‐store or online. Once people receive their voucher, they will have 30 days to enter into a purchase agreement with one of the participating retailers. The retailer then installs the new stove and recycles and makes the old stove inoperable. The number of vouchers is limited.
For more program details, go to LungNE.org/woodstove or call 1-800-548-8252. Northern Lights Hearth and Sports is located at 639 Wilton Road in Farmington (across from the Mt. Blue Shopping Center). Call (207) 778-6566 during store hours from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, or email: info@northernlightsmaine.com.
For more about the American Lung Association of the Northeast, go to: www.lung.org.
What about Weld? All the town’s around us are in the program. Why not us?
I do wish they’d expand this program to all the smaller towns in the area.
What about Temple?
nope, no Weld, no Temple, no Chesterville, Industry or Carthage.
Unfortunately this program is only for the towns listed above.
Do you foresee an expansion of the program? If you do, how would a town apply?