the diverse aspects of Downeast Maine ’ s interwoven heritage story . Wild blueberries , fisheries , forestry , habitat conservation , outdoor recreation , tourism , economic development , businesses , history and culture were all represented .
The Working Group contributed information , ideas , advice , and additional contacts to support the project . They helped solicit input from the general public and municipal , community , and organization members .
In addition to Sunrise County Economic Council staff , the core Working Group team included representatives from these regional organizations :
1 . Maine Coast Heritage Trust 2 . Downeast Salmon Federation 3 . Wild Blueberry Commission 4 . Maine Geopark – College of the Atlantic 5 . Maine Sea Grant – Downeast Fisheries Trail 6 . Bold Coast Scenic Byway & Bikeway 7 . DownEast Acadia Regional Tourism 8 . Hancock County Planning Commission 9 . Heart of Ellsworth 10 . St . Croix Chamber of Commerce
The Working Group first convened on September 22 , 2020 and held additional meetings approximately every 6 weeks through January 2021 , and then again in April . SCEC staff provided an update of the Group ’ s progress and findings to Maine ’ s Congressional delegates on January 12 , 2021 , via Zoom . Two public updates and discussions were held via Zoom on February 3rd and 4th . Total attendance at the two public updates in February was 48 , some attendees learning about the initiative for the first time .
Letters of support were provided by a wide range of community members and interest groups . Copies of these letters and other public feedback documentation is included in Chapter 10 , Public Endorsements for NHA Designation .
Community Feedback
Following is a summary of public Input gathered during 2020 . Public Input was gathered from all across Washington and Hancock counties using various means of communication as described above . Following are summaries of responses to two key questions :
40