Survey Results
Although the community survey only elicited 24 responses , valuable and affirming information was gathered . Survey questions were open-ended , intending to solicit unique and diverse responses .
• Describe 3-5 of the most nationally significant stories , themes , or places that unite the region .
• What 3 words or short phrases best exemplify the general personality or characteristic of DownEast Maine ?
• What is the one overarching story or connecting thread between the several nationally significant stories you described - in 2-3 words ?
Responses were put into word clouds to more easily examine what aspects of cultural and natural heritage people value . A word cloud is a collection , or cluster , of words depicted in different sizes . The bigger and bolder the word appears , the more often it ’ s mentioned within a given text and the more important it is . Following are the results of this exercise .
Douglass Copper Mine Blue Hill , 1880 - Copper was found along Mines Road in western Blue Hill in 1876 . The quality of the ore and ease of shipping it out from the harbor sparked a major mining boom . Speculation ran rampant , fueled by visiting experts . By 1881 , the companies began to fail because of an unstable market and management issues . Photo courtesy of Blue Hill Historical Society .
Q2 – Benefits of the NHA Program - Area , Tourism , Increase , Local
The word cloud for survey question # 2 indicates that survey respondents consider increased tourism across the region an important community benefit of NHA designation . During public discussions some people expressed concern that becoming an NHA might bring too much tourism and degrade what we value . Another concern expressed is that program resources could favor tourism promotion over cultural education and local initiatives . Word Cloud Q2 indicates that , from a heritage preservation perspective , survey respondents prioritize Local , Pride , Story , Culture , and People .
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