Alternative 1 – Maintain Status Quo
Alternative 1 explores management of the region by continuation of the status quo with references to any known changes that may occur , including any state or local initiatives that may affect the region .
In this alternative , the existing DownEast Acadia Region remains unchanged . No additional technical assistance or funding is provided through the National Park Service for coordination , interpretation , preservation , or heritage development purposes . The current level of heritage development activities continues as a patchwork of relatively independent initiatives . Since no federal funding or technical assistance support would be assumed , all resources for heritage development would be sought from the same limited state and local sources used in the past .
The geographic area known as DownEast Acadia includes two counties , 78 towns , 3 cities , 49 Unorganized Territories , 19 Unincorporated Villages , and 2 Passamaquoddy Reservations . A great number of local governments , non-profits , and community organizations manage diverse economic and community development initiatives across this geographically large and rural region , and ultimately compete with each other for both human and financial resources . For many decades our region has experienced challenges that reduce pride in place and limit economic and cultural opportunities . Organizations and local governments have made great strides to overcome these challenges and build a better future . A fierce loyalty to history , tradition , the land , and to community fuels these advancements .
The geographic area known as DownEast Acadia includes :
2 counties
49 unorganized territories
3 cities
78 towns
19
unincorporated villages
2
Passamaquoddy Reservations
Status Quo reveals that , although public entities across the region generally recognize and embrace collaboration and partnership as the best approach to building local quality of life , manifesting this vision is a long-standing challenge . Our cultural tendency toward self-reliance and our rural geography creates many separate but parallel - and sometimes redundant - efforts . Most entities across the region are stretched to capacity . Our inability to coordinate and create
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