CHAPTER 6
A Historical Context of Downeast Maine ’ s National Heritage
Chapter 6 further evaluates Criterion 2 of the required criteria for National Heritage Area designation .
Criterion 2 : Reflects traditions , customs , beliefs , and folklife that are a valuable part of the national story .
Our Geologic Beginnings
Three million years of glacial advancement and recession carved the distinct and iconic landscape of Maine . In the last 12,000 +/ - years since the glaciers retreated , this landscape and the climate within which it exists influenced the natural resources that exist here today - and thus inherently shaped the culture , history , and economy of the people who live here .
Downeast Maine as we know it today began with a series of ancient continents colliding together between 500 and 290 million years ago . The land continued to collide and withdraw , forming a chain of super volcanoes along the eastern shoreline of Maine , including Mount Desert Island . Over the next 200 million years , the landscape was extensively eroded by water , wind , and ice .
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