HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2 STATE HOUSE STATION AUGUSTA , MAINE 04333-0002 ( 207 ) 287-1400 TTY : ( 207 ) 287-4469
Nicole Grohoski PO Box 1732 Ellsworth , ME 04605 Cell Phone : ( 207 ) 358-8333 Nicole . Grohoski @ legislature . maine . gov
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2 STATE HOUSE STATION AUGUSTA , MAINE 04333-0002 ( 207 ) 287-1400 TTY : ( 207 ) 287-4469
26 May 2021
To whom it may concern :
National Heritage Area designation for the easternmost two counties in the United States will build community pride , help preserve our cultural and natural heritage , and bring national attention to our unique attributes . Our natural assets include wild blueberry barrens , anadromous fish runs , the highest tides on the East Coast , the largest whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere , and the earliest sunrise in the conterminous US states . This region is the home of the Passamaquoddy people who were allies in the war for independence and have resisted assimilation .
The first French settlement in North America was at St . Croix Island near Calais , Castine was once the capital of French Acadia , and Samuel D . Champlain gave Mount Desert Island its name , since anglicized . Machias is the site of the capture of the Margaretta , 11-12 June 1775 , the first naval battle of the American Revolution , still celebrated every June by descendants . In 1779 , the British routed the Penobscot Expedition from Castine in the biggest Naval defeat in US history prior to Pearl Harbor , and Eastport was the last American city occupied by the British in the War of 1812 .
Down East Maine is a living reflection of the history and culture of New England . Our towns still retain many 19 th century structures built during the heyday of sailing ships , ice and forest harvesting , and granite quarrying . Traditional industries such as boatbuilding , forest products , agriculture , and fishing are viable today employing hundreds of people . Machias hosts the Wild Blueberry Festival , Winter Harbor has their Lobster Festival , Lobster Boat races are run in coastal towns , Castine celebrates Bastille Day with a “ Picnic en Blanc ” on July 14 th , and 24 lighthouses dot our rugged coast between Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Bays .
Hunting and fishing are popular with visitors and locals , supported by savvy Maine Guides . The Down East Sunrise Trail is the longest off-road section of the East Coast Greenway between Key West , FL and Calais , ME . History and outdoor recreation , treasured by residents and visitors alike , are important to our economy and support our hospitality and tourism businesses .
District 132 : Ellsworth and Trenton 217