Acadia economic impact surveys mailed

BAR HARBOR — Friends of Acadia, in conjunction with the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center (MCSPC) at the University of Maine, will be sending opinion surveys to a random sample of residents of Mount Desert Island and the surrounding area.

The aim of the survey is to learn more about the views and experiences of people living near the park with the goal of gaining a better understanding of the park’s impact on the local economy.

Even folks who are not interested in the park, the status of local economies, or who don’t hold strong opinions, are encouraged to participate. “Often people think that their opinion or experiences don’t matter and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Megan Bailey of the MCSPC. “We are genuinely interested in what people have to say.”

Letters inviting residents to participate should be arriving in mailboxes during the week of Aug. 27-31.

The results of both online and mail surveys will be combined with interviews with business people and residents, and a standard economic impact analysis to produce the final report.

For more information about this survey, or about volunteering or to join Friends of Acadia, call 207-288-3340 or visit friendsofacadia.org.