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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 35 O C T O B E R 3 , 2 0 1 6 describes himself as extroverted and says, "I get energy being around people and I'm optimistic to a fault. Good ideas usually work." e monument is already open, and special provisions allow for hunting in certain areas, snowmobiling and other lifestyle activities com- mon to the region. Revitalization St. Clair points to studies fi nding that regions around national parks and monuments benefi t economically from their presence. But he says local history tells an even stronger story. He says 35 years ago, the Millinocket area had the highest per capita income in the state because of the paper mills. He believes the area can resurrect itself in a shorter time to support a national park than did Acadia National Park, which began as Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916 and became Acadia National Park in 1929. "Bar Harbor grew up around the park, not the other way around," says St. Clair to questions about how quickly the Millinocket area can turn around. He adds that in 1916 Jackson Laboratory, for example, still hadn't been founded, and other laboratories and the town itself grew because of the park. He also expects Canadian tourists due to the monument's close prox- imity to that country's border. Responding to criticism that his mother wanted a national park as a family legacy, he said that is not true. e family's name is not on the monument, and the family's actions were done to conserve land, he says. e National Park Service is holding a series of community sessions to get input from local residents about how they'd like to shape the planning process for the new monument. St. Clair plans to stay involved as the monument develops, saying he hopes the local community plays off of its heritage as an outpost of the north woods community with events like the Christmas festival, antique snowmobile festival and Trails End Festival. Diversifi ed economy He's also hoping to see the economy diversify, using the millions of acres of trees for applications like fabric, jet fuel and cross-laminated timber. e University of Maine, for example, is developing cross-laminated timber. Other counties, including Europe and Canada, already are using the timber as a strong wood substitute for steel building frames and fl ooring. And since trees remove carbon dioxide from the air, St. Clair says, using cross- laminated timber can help essentially lock up carbon in the wood, giving new structures a much smaller carbon footprint. As a next project, he wants to focus on improving the economy of rural Maine, fi rst by lobbying to get fast internet to everyone. He'd also like to see diversifi cation of the rural economy, and he'll consult with various parties on that goal. "I'd like to see more technology and some consolidation of education," he says. "We need to become more effi cient with what we have." Lori ValiGra, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached a t l V a l i G r a @ m a i n e b i Z . b i Z a n d @ LVa l i G r a

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