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V O L . X X I I N O. X X I V O C T O B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 6 24 "I love this place. at's one thing all of us would agree on. We love the island. ere are some things we disagree on, but that's the one thing we agree on." "I think the island community would be lost without the store. It's as much a gathering place as it is a store." " e island is aging. We defi nitely need more families with kids com- ing out here." "Life is so much fuller here. I'm happier here than I've ever been anywhere else." " You better love the one you're with, because there's a lot of face time out here, especially during the winter." " e mail boat is the lifeline of the island." By the time I step off the mail boat onto the dock in Stonington, I have but one fi rm conclusion: Making a living off the coast of Maine is immensely com- plex and challenging. I also realize the entrepreneurial spirit you might fi nd on a small island community like Isle au Haut, with a year-round population of just under 40 residents, has less to do with making things and everything to do with build- ing a sustainable community. Lacking a diversifi ed economy Isle au Haut, six miles long and two miles wide, includes part of Acadia National Park. It is one of 15 year-round island communities in Maine, yet is among those with a tenuous hold on year-round sustainability. It faces many of the issues faced by small towns throughout Maine — an aging population, a lack of jobs and a limited workforce — magnifi ed by the fact that its entire year-round population would fi t in a typical small-town diner. e "Island Indicators 2015" report provides the latest snapshot of the chal- lenges facing Isle au Haut and 14 other year-round island communities, updat- ing demographic, economic and social data for those communities last pub- lished in 2012. Heather Deese, vice pres- ident of research and strategy for the Island Institute, says the report high- lights the intrinsic economic challenge » C O N T I N U E D F R O M C O V E R Fortifying a year-round community requires ingenuity — and people P h o t o s a n d s t o r y B y J a m e s M c C a r t h y An island community confronts its economic challenges 2010 U.S. Census Spring 2014 island estimate Percent change Vinalhaven 1,165 1,514 29.96% Chebeague 341 395 15.84% Peaks Island 864 950 9.95% Islesboro 566 600 6.01% North Haven 355 375 5.63% Swan's Island 332 350 5.42% Long Island 230 200 -13.04% Cranberry Isles 141 110 -21.99% Monhegan 69 50 -27.54% Cliff Island 71 49 -30.99% Frenchboro 61 40 -34.43% Isle au Haut 73 45 -38.36% Matinicus 74 40 -45.95% Great Diamond 91 43 -52.75% Population trends for Maine's 15 year-round island communities S O U R C E : 'Island Indicators 2015' report compiled by the Island Institute F O C U S On Isle au Haut's town wharf, a sculpture by folk singer Gordon Bok highlights the island's lobstering tradition.

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