I am writing with hope that political leaders in our state ultimately will support the proposal to create a national monument east of Baxter State Park.
As an instructor in the Adventure Recreation and Tourism program at Washington County Community College in Calais, I have been a silent observer on this issue. Despite my personal feelings aligning with the overwhelming majority of my fellow Mainers, I have felt a need to remain unbiased as students discuss the costs and benefits of such a proposal in my classes. I have listened to the concerns of some of my students who are from the Millinocket area, as well as the arguments of those proposing the development of a new national park.
As the sun begins to set on this historic opportunity, I feel compelled to express my personal support for such a proposal and my hope that our congressional delegation will lead Maine forward by supporting a monument designation. My support boils down to three fundamental facts.
First, strong families help ensure a strong nation. I recently attended a conference in which I was reminded by a child psychologist that family vacation experiences have the power to drastically improve family bonding. Apparently, this is because of the fact that while on vacation, kids get to see their parents acting like, well, kids.
This fact struck a chord with me recently as my wife, daughters and I returned from a ski trip on the land being proposed as a national monument. This much-needed getaway allowed us to ski through spectacular scenery to Haskell Hut, where we spent a magical evening around the woodstove. All of us feeling and acting like kids, we relaxed, ate a special dinner and recounted the otter and partridge tracks we saw on the way in, all the while completely unplugged from the technology that seems so often to invade our hectic family life. These types of recreational experiences are necessary for the health of our families and our nation.
Second, public recreational venues are crowded. In 2015 the National Park Service recorded over 305 million visits to national parks, an increase of 12 million visits over the year before. Acadia National Park is among the top 10 parks for growth over the next 10 years. Similarly, Baxter State Park reports that its visitation is up nearly 12 percent in the last 10 years. As the U.S. and world populations increase, naturally so must access to recreational areas. The designation of the Katahdin Woods and Waters area as a national monument would secure an uncrowded place for families to have exceptional outdoor recreational experiences.
Third, along with the benefits to our family lives, tourism opportunities related to parks and recreation areas can be a sustainable source of revenue for local business owners and employees. I recently traveled to Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Local business owners I met there were getting ready for the more than 4 million visitors who will be visiting the area this summer.
I met a young man, Trevor, who was building a “teepee hotel” near the northern entrance to the park. His ingenious plan is consistent with the new trend of theme-based “glamping,” or glamourous camping. His teepees have all the comforts of a five-star hotel such as a shower, kitchenette, luxurious beds and the equivalent of a balcony with vistas of the incredible mountains.
Other lodging owners I met said their rooms were booked through October. One motel owner said he was forced to hire international tourism students from other countries because there were not enough local workers trained in hospitality and tourism. Partnered with training programs in our community college and university systems, sustainable tourism development could offer economic opportunity to hundreds of Maine families.
I work daily with students who are excited by the prospect of working in Maine’s outdoors and sharing their passion with others. I am hopeful our elected officials, from Sens. Angus King to Susan Collins to President Barack Obama, take the time to stop, listen and think about the importance of strong families, uncrowded parks and sustainable business opportunities and work collectively to support the development of this new national monument in Maine.
Scott Fraser is an Adventure Recreation and Tourism instructor at Washington County Community College in Calais.