See the Fuzzy Deer! Nature Tourism Initiative

Baldacci ready to outline nature tourism initiativeFriday, March 25, 2005 - Bangor Daily NewsAUGUSTA - Nearly two months after a nature tourism consultant visited Gov. John Baldacci and three key areas around the state, the Texas-based company is about ready to roll out preliminary recommendations that flesh out the governor's nature-based tourism initiative. The goal is to guide visitors throughout Maine with uniformly formatted and consistently presented information.The idea is to lead them to high-quality natural, historical and cultural attractions that will become more visitor-friendly than they are now. Any guesses what they mean by this statement?Next week the governor is expected to outline his nature-based tourism initiative as a significant segment of Maine's rural economic development plan.The early recommendations that Baldacci will announce Thursday precede a fuller, final presentation, set for June 30.Fermata Inc. of Austin, Texas, was hired by the state Department of Economic and Community Development to tie tourism opportunities into strategies for economic development.The company has done consulting work in 21 states in the past 13 months. It has been in the field of tourism marketing and conservation programming for 30 years.A team of consultants, led by Mary Jeanne Packer, is spending 10 months assessing how Maine could improve on its best natural and recreational offerings in three regions - the Western Mountains around Rangeley; the Highlands around Baxter State Park; and Down East, or Washington County.Fermata's early recommendations include:. Beginning work with the managers of existing and planned nature centers, cultural heritage centers and welcome centers to design a uniform system for visitor service delivery across the Maine woods.This would involve a network of interpreted visitor centers that use the Internet for near real-time resource information from other points around Maine.. Developing highway-based thematic itineraries that include existing trailheads, historic sites and nature centers. These would be connected through unifying marketing and educational materials and interpretative signage.. Working with a range of people to develop a uniform guide and map publication template. Eventually this would provide Maine visitors with comprehensive information on opportunities to experience the state's best natural attractions.That would enable regional groups and others to develop publications for their own areas, while remaining thematically and visually attached to broader, statewide efforts.The first cooperative publication project would be in southern Piscataquis County and involve a number of local and regional partners.Within Washington County, a follow-up meeting to next week's Fermata recommendations will take place in Machias from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 7. That meeting is set for the community room of the Machias Savings Bank.Those at the April 7 meeting in Machias will come up with their own responses to Fermata's work so far.Among the questions they will tackle are: How much tourism in the Down East region is too much? What are some sustainability targets? Where should capital investments be focused to assist tourism Down East?One Down East resident who attended Packer's Fermata presentation Feb. 2 at the Downeast Heritage Center in Calais rued that Maine hasn't already done more toward promoting the state.In the latest AARP magazine for retired people across the country, there are big advertisements for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, as well as a smaller ad for New Hampshire, said Fred Gralenski of Pembroke.But there were no ads or even articles about things to do in Maine, he said in an e-mail last month that circulated to Washington County people with an interest in tourism. "It's a wonder we get any tourists at all," he wrote.Source

quote:The idea is to lead them to high-quality natural, historical and cultural attractions that will become more visitor-friendly than they are now. Any guesses what they mean by this statement?

That most of the tourist trip places that we advertise to entice tourist are not worth the trip to get to them. Living here in Portland, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why anybody would want to come to Portland as a tourist destination. I think most cruise ship visitors realize that after spending a couple of hours downtown with nothing but shopping as an attraction. Yes, we have the Victoria Mansion, Portland Museum of Art and the Observatory, but they are not a reason to travel 6 to 8 hours to spend the day.Our shopping attraction is nothing special. Folks who want to go shopping want to go to Malls and outlets.Tourism is not going to work in Portland. Not now, not never.We are about to spend $12 million (or maybe $16 million) on a cruise ship passenger terminal. It is going to be the most significant tourist attraction we will be able to offer. Just like the $20 million dry dock that proceeded it, I suspect the terminal will not return on its investment and will be replaced with something else in 20 years having served no purpose other than to take more money out of the wallets of the Maine taxpayers.Steven Scharf
SCSMedia@aol.com

I also read that statement to include lots of new "improvements" to these tourist target areas... such as roads, reception centers, lodges, maybe some nice uniforms for the new state tourist workers, etc. Prettifying attempts, which cost a lot of money.It will be interesting to get the resident guides' reactions to these plans.

I read into the document, that they would look to homogenize the marketing literature, so it would all have the same look and feel. This will only dilute individual locales message. Folks will look at one brochure and not pick up the next because they will think they have it already.Steven Scharf
SCSMedia@aol.com

At least it would boost the sales on animatronic deer and other fake critters for the kiddies, as well as bug repellants. I mean, if you're going to have Disneyland in northern Maine, you can't have skeeters and blackflies!Kind of detracts from the ambiance, as it were.

quote:Originally posted by Naran:
I also read that statement to include lots of new "improvements" to these tourist target areas... such as roads, reception centers, lodges, maybe some nice uniforms for the new state tourist workers, etc. Prettifying attempts, which cost a lot of money.It will be interesting to get the resident guides' reactions to these plans.

A complaint I hear is lack of "places to go" when you're on the go. Closing many public rest stops did not help.
Remember back in the 60's when Lady-Bird Johnson wanted to "beautify America". They spent thousands sandblasting the graffitti off rocks along the Airline road. Graffitti won that war by the way. Today those rocks are gone. Someone figured out that a safer road was more important.
Many States will develope a park with paved parking, infomation center, play area for kids and perhaps a food service area, all around a historical site. What was the site? " Here stood the first saw mill in this town". The only thing that looks like lumber is the post that the sign sits on. But you stopped, spent some money, now move on. There's a tour bus behind you.
Many years ago a tourist stopped and asked Carl Day of Wesley what people did when it wasn't the tourist season. "Oh, we just fumagate and get ready for the next batch."
I think people of Wasshington County would much prefer to have jopbs to secure their homes rather than loose them to become a "naturist playground" for the enviro-elite. Many have dared try to establish some industro-agro-economy base but they keep getting hit with enviro-nay-sayers.
Recently a cross-Maine natural gas pipeline was completed and went through Washington County but no provision was made to "tap-off" so this area could have the benifit of competitive low cost energy. Think of it as the Maine Turnpike with no exit ramp for Portland.D

Sounds like the Joshua Chamberline museum is going to get a 'makeover' from one of the 'new' marketing/p.r. groups that have made into the Blaine house.hmmm....a little more research into Joshua's battle field cross dressing should spice up that museum; then there are the 'lucky' moose sightings in conjunction with the Maine State Lottery and the financial institution that purchased that half billion dollar bond issue....putting a scratch off on a moose's butt should get a lot more people out in the swamps of maine....see a moose and you can win $$$.Where would Maine be without the excitement and adventure of the Baldacci administration?

Yes - what would we all do for fun and excitement? Why, we just never know what will emanate from the Blaine House these days, it's been a laugh a minute.One day we have the seat belt laws, then it's the helmets, new burn permits, Sunday hunting, gay rights legislation, then it's on to the fun of LD1, new gas taxes, garden fertilizer surcharges, turnpike advertising, canoe registration, and the piece de resistance - the new budget!!!And now it's *SeeTheWildnernessinComfortMaine*... or *Disney Northeast*. I can't think of another, single, solitary thing they could gift us with, can you?? :p

For the money they will send to Texas they could have installed a couple of really good boat launches on lakes where we have no boat launch sites. That would welcome Mainers and visitors both in a significant way.[ 03-26-2005: Message edited by: Roger Ek ]

quote:Originally posted by Roger Ek:
For the money they will send to Texas they could have installed a couple of really good boat launches on lakes where we have no boat launch sites. That would welcome Mainers and visitors both in a significant way.[ 03-26-2005: Message edited by: Roger Ek ]

" a couple of boat ramps" ? And which two of our thousand plus ponds would that be, to make a significant difference?D

It seems like this is dump-on-the-tourism-industry day. The posts here are a reminder that many people do not take this industry seriously enough. If they did, they would realize the benefits tourism brings to all areas of the state -- even Portland, Steve. It employs thousands of Mainers, full and part-time, and the economies of many communities are highly dependent on it. We all will benefit by encouraging people to spend their vacations in Maine.Sneering at tourism will not benefit anybody.

Sorry, Media, you're wrong on this one. I wasn't dumping on tourism; I live in Tourism Central, on the coast in Southern Maine. I know countless people who make their living from tourism, and at one time I was office manager for the local chamber of commerce. I have zero problem with tourism.What I object to in the proposal for Nature Tourism is I see this as another misguided state fiscal sinkhole.... they won't draw on the knowledge of locals in the areas,(like the new burn permits - did they consult fire chiefs first? no) and instead will attempt to impose a homogenization on the Northern tourist areas, turning them into some kind of bland, streamlined, prettified Disney East.Maine just isn't about that, nor should they attempt to make it so. Jobs are important, but we need jobs that create more opportunities for our residents than being uniformed bellhops and cabin clerks.

Calvin, You just got through saying there was a lack of places to go. Junior Lake could use a good boat launch. There is no public access to this heavily stocked lake. Chesuncook could use a better boat launch also.

Baldacci unveils inland tourism plan
Friday, April 01, 2005 - Bangor Daily NewsTourists flock to Maine's midcoast for lobsters and to its Western mountains for foliage, but pay little notice to what's in between. But Gov. John Baldacci believes that inland rivers and forests could prove to be a major economic engine for the state, and Thursday, announced his plan for developing tourism in rural areas. "For visitors all over the country, one of Maine's most unique and potent symbols is that of the Maine sporting camp," Baldacci said in a statement released Thursday.The future of traditional sporting camps - as well as white-water rafting operations, North Woods resorts, wilderness guide services, and particularly, the small communities where they are located - can be ensured with "targeted investments," the governor said.At the State House Thursday morning, Baldacci unveiled his Maine Nature Tourism Initiative, a series of tax breaks for tourist lodging in rural areas proposed as a bill sponsored by Rep. Stan Moody, D-Manchester."This is a way to jump-start the Maine economy," Moody told the Bangor Daily News earlier this year. "We've got to be able to put some pride back into small business."The bill, known as the "Pine Tree Recreation Zone Act," would offer benefits to existing sporting camps seeking to upgrade, to new sporting camps with a lodge and a minimum of 15 cabins, and to new resort facilities offering a minimum of 40 bedrooms with individual baths, a dining room and conference rooms.To qualify as a Pine Tree Recreation Zone, a business also would have to serve primarily out-of-state tourists and be associated with a Registered Maine Guide or some other service offering "experiential tourism."Moody targeted resorts in his bill in response to early advice from a consulting firm called FERMATA, that Maine has hired to develop recommendations for boosting the state's nature-based tourism sector.The Sportsman's Alliance of Maine has supported Moody's idea, but would like to see it applied more broadly to include traditional sporting camps with just a handful of cabins, as well as infrastructure for the struggling inland sport fishing economy."We want to be sure that this benefit is available to much smaller establishments," said SAM Executive Director George Smith.Three regions in particular are being targeted for ecotourism development: the Western mountains, the Baxter State Park region and Washington County - and all lack sufficient lodgings, nature and cultural centers, signage and marketing, according to FERMATA. The full report is expected to be presented to the state's Department of Economic and Community Development in late June."While Maine has an abundance of opportunities for eco- or experiential tourism, we don't have the basic infrastructure - resorts specifically - needed to serve and attract these tourists," Moody said, citing early FERMATA recommendations in a statement.Moody's bill, LD 192, seeks to offer qualifying businesses sales tax exemptions on construction materials; a refund of meals and lodging taxes for the first five years in business, so long as the money is used to develop a marketing plan; and a refund of 20 percent of construction costs over 10 years in the form of tax credits.Some raised concerns, however, that the tourism initiative could encourage dense development that would detract from the value of Maine's woods as a wild place. The initiative could encourage large-scale developments, such as Plum Creek Timber Co.'s controversial proposal to build two resorts and more than 800 homes near Moosehead Lake.The Natural Resources Council of Maine is very supportive of the idea of nature-based tourism, but it has to be done right, to avoid the "suburbanization" of the North Woods, said spokeswoman Judy Berk, who has participated in development of the FERMATA plan, but has some lingering questions about how Pine Tree Recreation Zones might be used."The location of the development is going to be key to us," she said. "We'd want to make sure we weren't eating away at the North Woods with these developments," Berk said.LD 192 has been scheduled for public hearing before the Business, Research and Economic Development Committee at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 5 in Room 208 of the Cross State Office Building.Source:
http://www.bangornews.com/news/templates/?a=111344

According to the following, we can't find enough tourism workers for Northern Maine now. So how do we find enough later, after the Nature Tourism push?Businesses in Maine struggle with limits on foreign workers
Friday, April 01, 2005 - Bangor Daily NewsFifties-era rocker Eddie Cochran may have written and first popularized the song, but in present-day Maine it may be businesses in the seasonal tourism and logging industries that can make the best claim for singing the "Summertime Blues." As it becomes increasingly difficult to secure the help of foreign workers for seasonal jobs in coastal restaurants and hotels, many of the businesses are trying to find new ways to fill positions that local, year-round populations cannot.The number of foreign workers allowed into the United States each year under the H2B visa program is 66,000. Federal regulators start issuing these visas on Oct. 1, at the start of each federal fiscal year. When they reach that limit they stop until the fiscal year begins anew.This year, the national limit was reached in early January, well before many Maine businesses even had the chance to apply, according to Dick Grotton, president of the Maine Restaurant Association.Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have criticized but so far have been unable to change federal laws that govern when businesses may apply for the workers. Applications are accepted no more than 120 days before the workers are needed, Grotton said Thursday, creating an automatic disadvantage for any region with a busy employment season that starts in the summer.Reliance on foreign workers in Maine's seasonal industries has risen sharply over the past several years but did not pose a problem as long as the number of H2B workers nationwide remained fewer than 66,000. In the past two years that limit has been met, but it wasn't until last year that the limit was enforced.With the rules now being enforced and with most H2B visas going to companies in regions with busy winter and spring employment seasons, Maine's summer logging and tourism industries are being left out in the cold, according to Juan Perez-Febles of the Maine Department of Labor.Full text:
http://www.bangornews.com/news/templates/?a=111354&z=177[ 04-01-2005: Message edited by: Naran ]

quote:Originally posted by Steven Scharf:
for the life of me, I cannot figure out why anybody would want to come to Portland as a tourist destination.

i think some people go there for the prostitution.

Well, at least there will be something besides Wal-mart. Just think of all those wonderful work study jobs that will be available for UMF and UMM students as tour guides during the summer. The locals will have jobs cleaning toilets and changing linens if they can do it "under the table". They'll probably do all this and not bother to pave and reconstruct the roads in the western mountains. Why can't they just stick to fixing roads? 50 million for to buy woods and 28 million for infrastrucure. (Roads and bridges)
Wonder if we get to vote on it!

Why do I have the feeling that there are some REITS comprised of wealthy liberal shareholders waiting in the wings on this? I can't wait to sell the house now! Next week it will be the:
"Comprehensive Rural Underwriting Diversity Iniative."
CRUDI for short. The completion phase for "cleansing" the indigenous population of rural Maine.These guys ARE slick! LD1, the budget, sexual orientation bill. Got to hand it to the Them-o-crats this time, they got a program, boy do they ever![ 04-01-2005: Message edited by: Jeff Holt ]

Or even:"Comprehensive Rural Underwriting Diversity Initiative Taskforce Endeavor" (CRUDITE). :D Served to Maine's residents, who will possibly be the DIPS on the platter if they buy this latest scheme.Remains to be seen. I'm still waiting for some dollar figures. Since there were none in the article, this leads me to believe they're large ones.[ 04-01-2005: Message edited by: Naran ]

Governor Unveils Rural Economic Development Plan
March 31, 2005
Governor's Office
CONTACT: Joy Leach, 287-2531Jeff Sosnaud, 624-9800
AUGUSTA – Governor Baldacci today unveiled a new economic initiative aimed at developing and expanding a range of tourism opportunities in Maine’s rural communities. The Maine Nature Tourism Initiative involves tax incentive legislation designed to encourage new investment in outdoor recreation businesses and a series of recommendations that have been developed for the Governor by Texas-based FERMATA, Inc., a nationally known tourism development consulting firm.“Natural resources and tourism are vibrant elements of our State and our economy,” Governor Baldacci said. “This initiative will enable us to make the critical connections between our resources, tourism and economic development; to maximize our resources and by doing so to propel Maine as the premier tourist destination. With appropriate targeted investments, we can use the unique beauty of our landscape to bring new dollars into the state and help Maine’s rural communities as they work to diversify their local economies."Under the proposed legislation known as the Pine Tree Recreation Zone Act, both new hotel or resort proposals, as well as existing sporting camps, may qualify for a number of tax incentives that would enable them to create new jobs and pump new dollars into rural economies that are seeking to diversify. Representative Stan Moody, D-Manchester, is the lead sponsor of the bill. “Our hotels and sporting camps are part of the significant network of small businesses that employ the majority of our workforce,” Representative Moody said. “It is critical that we give them the support they need in order to remain competitive. The tax incentives offered through the Pine Tree Recreation Zone Act will help existing accommodations upgrade their offerings and enable new businesses to enter the market.”Proposed tax incentives include: Refund of 20 percent of approved project costs through refundable tax credits; Sales tax exemption on construction supplies and equipment; and Refund of new incremental meals and lodging tax generated for the first five years; refund must be used to implement an approved marketing plan.
In addition to the proposed legislation, the Governor also rolled out a number of recommendations that have been developed by FERMATA, Inc., which the Administration retained in September of 2004 to assess Maine’s opportunities in nature-based tourism, one of the fastest growing niches in the nation’s travel industry. FERMATA, Inc. will begin working with stakeholders in three rural pilot project areas: the Western Mountains, the Highlands and Downeast. The projects include:  Interpretive visitor centers; Incorporating numerous trailheads, historic sites, and nature centers into highway-based thematic itineraries; and  Developing a uniform guide and map publication template. These projects will provide Maine visitors with accurate and comprehensive information on opportunities to experience the state’s world-class natural, historical and cultural resources. “Tourism is an increasingly competitive industry around the world. I am committed to making the investments necessary to keep Maine high on the list of places that folks from away just have to visit in order to appreciate all that we have to offer,” said the Governor.Photos available
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quote:Originally posted by Roger Ek:
For the money they will send to Texas they could have installed a couple of really good boat launches on lakes where we have no boat launch sites. That would welcome Mainers and visitors both in a significant way.[ 03-26-2005: Message edited by: Roger Ek ]

Roger, you should know by now that they want people to look at our lakes and ponds not actually be able to use one.