Comments - From the Brookings Institute right before the wind madness in Maine exploded. - Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power - Maine2024-03-28T14:22:27Zhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=4401701%3ABlogPost%3A118754&xn_auth=noThis says it all: "Huge and a…tag:www.windtaskforce.org,2018-10-17:4401701:Comment:1485332018-10-17T13:23:01.537ZJohn F. Husseyhttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/JohnFHussey
<p>This says it all: "<span>Huge and almost mythical, the Northern Forest remains a critical element of the state’s brand,"</span></p>
<p>This says it all: "<span>Huge and almost mythical, the Northern Forest remains a critical element of the state’s brand,"</span></p> Following are a few more exce…tag:www.windtaskforce.org,2018-10-17:4401701:Comment:1484252018-10-17T13:12:03.453ZArt Brigadeshttps://www.windtaskforce.org/profile/ArtBrigades
<div class="" dir="auto"><div class="page" title="Page 17"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><div class="page" title="Page 100"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p class=""><span class="">Following are a few more excerpts from the Brookings Institution Report (which Alan Caron had a lot to do with): </span></p>
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<p class=""><span class="">First, the state should continue to invest urgently in pro- tecting and…</span></p>
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<div dir="auto" class=""><div class="page" title="Page 17"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><div class="page" title="Page 100"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p class=""><span class="">Following are a few more excerpts from the Brookings Institution Report (which Alan Caron had a lot to do with): </span></p>
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<p class=""><span class="">First, the state should continue to invest urgently in pro- tecting and enhancing its top-notch quality of place, for that is its “calling card,” its brand, and its truest source of pros- perity.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class="">Accessible wild places and tranquil country farms, human- scaled Main Streets and working waterfronts: These are what differentiate Maine from other places and in many respects drive its economy. Yet these assets are at risk.... And so Maine should protect these assets and invest in them as sources of economic advantage. </span></p>
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<p class=""><span class="">But for all that these chapters reflect a strong conviction that Maine is a special place possessed of outstanding, truly enviable potential.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class="">Throughout its research the project team has marveled at astounding natural endowments ...</span></p>
<p class=""><span class=""> Why do so many visitors seek to spend so much time and money in Maine? Why do so many visitors return for good? According to survey results, the 13 highestrated Maine attributes all revolved around its abundance of scenic vistas, the high quality of its recreational opportunities, and its charming small towns. And yet, the way Maine is growing—and the poor management of the demand that Maine’s attractions prompts—also threatens to degrade exactly the quality of place that prompted the demand in the first place.</span></p>
<div class="page" title="Page 7"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p class=""><span class="">Moreover, the wheel may now be<br class=""/>turning in Maine’s direction. As the<br class=""/>search for quality places grows in impor-<br class=""/>tance, Maine possesses a globally known<br class=""/>“brand” built on images of livable com-<br class=""/>munities, stunning scenery, and great </span>recreational opportunities.</p>
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<p class=""><span class=""> ...But for all that, widespread suburbanization and sprawl are driving up costs and may well be damaging the state’s top calling card—its scenic beauty, the feel of its towns, its quality of place.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class="">Maine’s development pat- terns are undermining the state’s alluring brand, so important to its current and future economy. Crucial to this brand is the integrity of Maine’s distinctive towns and villages and the stunning natural areas that lie between them.</span></p>
<div class="page" title="Page 17"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p class=""><span class="">This holistic insight, moreover, is one widely shared by Maine people, many of whom want badly to both improve their economy and protect their state’s special environment— and see little contradiction in the two agendas. Nor is this view only a product of the state’s longstanding tradition of conservation and environmental activism. Instead, it’s bred in. Maine people don’t live in the state accidentally, after all. Whether to the north or south, Maine people stick stubbornly by the state, despite its cold climate and various problems, because they love its mountains and seacoasts and traditional towns and feel at home with its hard-won economy of hard work and community.</span></p>
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<p class=""><span class="">And so this report responds to Mainers’ intuition that eco- nomic success and quality places matter equally—are, in fact, linked inextricably.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class="">And other small businesses are emerging throughout rural Maine in industries such as forest bioproducts, marine research, and spe- cialty foods, taking advantage of its abundance of natural resources and quality of place.</span></p>
<div class="page" title="Page 43"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p class=""><span class="">n the standard view, Maine remains an intensely rural state of pristine landscapes and small towns.</span><span class="">And that’s true in many places: From the open fields of Aroostook County to the great northern forest, western mountains, and remote Down East fishing villages, Maine ranks as the second most rural state in the nation, just behind Vermont, according to the U.S. Census. Altogether, nearly 60 percent of the state lives in Census-defined rural territory—a share that places Maine in the company of other rural states like West Virginia, Mississippi, South Dakota, Arkansas, and Montana. Density measures, meanwhile, confirm </span>the impression. Maine’s low density of 41 people per square mile makes it the most sparsely populated New England state and the 38th least-dense state in the country. </p>
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<p class=""><span class="">From the open fields of Aroostook County to the great northern forest, western mountains, and remote Down East fishing villages, Maine ranks as the second most rural state in the nation.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class="">...waves of ill-managed sprawling development could easily threaten the state’s much-beloved rural identity, which itself is a valuable economic asset. In sum, the spread of anonymous suburban development threatens to gradually (or not so gradually) degrade Maine’s quality of place at a time when quality of place means more and more.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class="">Maine’s scattered development </span><span class="">patterns are placing increased pressure on the state’s iconic forests, picturesque landscapes, and down-to-earth towns—all vital components of the state’s high quality of place, its true brand. In the long run, the slow degradation of Maine’s vivid and distinctive quality of place (and the reputation it supports) may be the greatest cost to Maine of all.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class=""> ...nation leading second homeownership rate</span></p>
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<div class="page" title="Page 66"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p class=""><span class="">But talk about Maine’s “brand” is not just fancy language. As the mobility of Americans continues to increase, states more and more need a brand—a distinct, captivating appeal that at once establishes a unifying self-image and a competitive prom- ise as they vie for their share of scarce visitors, talent, and income.</span></p>
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<p class=""><span class="">Longwoods International, an image branding company focused on tourism, reiterates this necessity, but also highlights a crucial principle: “A brand is not a campaign theme, tag line, or slogan. Instead, it is an expression of a compellingly unique experience.”</span></p>
<p class=""><span class="">Nor is that expression solely an aesthetic appeal. A quality brand can bring powerful practical benefits to a place. David McGranahan of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, for example, has found that rural counties high in natural ameni- ties had higher population and income growth than those low in such amenities. </span><span class="">And in urban locales, work by Richard Florida, as well as Clark and others, points to a close connec-</span><span class="">tion between high quality of life, amenities, and population growth.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class="">All of which makes it a major problem for Maine that the way the state is growing is slowly degrading key ele- ments of Maine’s vivid and unifying sense of place.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class=""> </span><span class="">Huge and almost mythical, the Northern Forest remains a critical element of the state’s brand,</span></p>
<p class=""><span class=""> </span><span class="">Another problem, meanwhile, is the defacement of Maine’s scenic corridors. </span><span class="">Winding, country roads, tranquil rural byways, and scenic drives are another signature element of Maine life. And yet, that too is going.</span></p>
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<div class=""><div class="page" title="Page 97"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p class=""><span class="">With sprawl threatening the integrity of its towns and landscapes, the state likewise lacks the regulatory, planning, and other structures it needs to ensure it doesn’t wreck what it cherishes.</span></p>
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<p class=""><span class="">Maine’s stellar quality of place, for one thing—its traditional towns and beautiful landscapes and seacoasts—constitutes a major, appreciating asset in an age when retaining and attracting workers and retirees matters intensely.</span></p>
<p class=""><span class="">Which suggests the way forward: If the only enduring source of economic advantage is distinctiveness, as Michael Porter maintains, Maine should move to become</span><span class="">more distinct.</span><span class="">That is, it should move confidently to craft a distinctly Maine-built sort of regional advantage derived from its strengths.</span></p>
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