As ecotourism grows, so does the desire to maintain Downeast’s wild character

In the past decade, the state and roughly a dozen large nonprofit conservation groups have caught on to the idea that land and water preservation could also help boost Maine’s Downeast region’s lagging economy. A 2018 study reported that 19 percent of the two-county area was in some sort of conservation status — more than 700,000 acres of parks, wildlife refuges and preserves. And the figure has only grown. Much of that conserved land and water is being groomed for public access. There has been a large uptick in recreational tourism, and thus an influx of money. Conservation leaders say their Downeast planning efforts consider a crucial question: How do you create new recreational experiences, and new economic opportunities, while maintaining the culture of the region?