By Carol McCracken (Post # 2,558)
“We’ve already seen an increase in our business. People are coming from all over the country to visit our newest National Monument,” said Lindsay Downing this morning. Downing and her husband own the Mt. Chase Lodge near Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.in northern Maine.Downing was one of a panel of speakers at a press conference this morning hosted by the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
A survey released by the NRCM today shows that 72% of Maine voters support the recently established National Monument with only 22% opposed to it. Those surveyed believe the monument will boost tourism and create jobs in nearby communities according to Pete Didisheim, NRCM Advocacy Director. “They see it as a magnet for tourism and job creation in a part of the state that desperately needs economic progress,” he said.