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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 27 O C T O B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 6 has had visitors from every continent other than Antarctica. " ey love the stories. I'll tell them that's an actual mus- sel shell from Isle au Haut. It's important to have things made by islanders." Visitors play an increasingly important role in the island economy. "Tourism does help the island," says Chubbuck, noting that visitors provide revenues for the island's ferry service that minimize the cost other- wise borne by islanders. Likewise, they provide additional business that helps sustain the Island Cooperative Store. "If we didn't have the day trippers, the kayakers and schooners, we'd be lost." The Acadia National Park connection A major draw, obviously, is Acadia National Park, which carefully manages its 2,900 acres on Isle au Haut (roughly half the island) as a low-density recre- ational experience that places a high value on solitude. Acadia spokesman John Kelly says the park's Isle au Haut district had approximately 7,000 visitors by Aug. 31, up 2.7% from the same period in 2015. at's in line with the 5,000 to 7,500 day use visitors and 500 to 600 campers Isle au Haut has averaged in recent years. While those numbers pale in com- parison to the overall 3 million visitors Acadia expects for its 2016 centennial anniversary year — which would be the highest number since 1989 — Kelly says neither the park nor the island is push- ing for a dramatic increase. By statute, since the 1980s the park had limited daily usage of its Isle au Haut district to 90 day-use visitors and 30 campers — but those limits were nudged slightly upward in the park's October 2014 man- agement plan to 128 visitors per day. "It's as close to a 'wilderness' experience as you can get in Acadia National Park," he says. "We haven't had any negative feedback from the people who go to Isle au Haut about their experience out there." As for the historic ambivalence islanders might have felt about the park 30 or more years ago, seasonal resident Judith Burke — who with her artist husband converted the turn-of-the- century lightkeepers' house at Robinson Point Light into the Keeper's House Inn — sees a diff erent attitude now. "I don't think the town cares anymore," she says. "We need the tourists." Burke fi gures she and her husband probably employed just about every res- ident of the island at some point during their 23 years of running the inn. "We were full 80% of the time," she says. ey sold the inn in late 2012 to Marshall Chapman, who's carrying on the traditions they established. Brianna Warner, economic develop- ment director at the Island Institute, gives high marks to Isle au Haut and the islands for taking ownership of their overarching problem of continuing to be sustainable year-round communities. ey're all crafting unique solutions to their housing and employment chal- lenges, including new opportunities to expand aquaculture and eco-tourism. ey're fi nding ways to collaborate on lowering their energy costs as well as improving their high-speed internet capacity to lure "telecommuting" entre- preneurs attracted to island living. "So many people who have deep roots on these islands, who've survived there for ages, really respect the idea of being an entrepreneur," she says. " at's why these islands are so special. ey don't sit around and whine about a problem. ey do something about it." Ja m e s M c Ca rt H Y , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r writer, can be reached at jmcc artHY @ maiNeBiZ.BiZ and @ Jame sMaiNeBiZ RSVP admission@nya.org | www.NYA RSVP NYA.org Upper & Middle School Grades 5 through 12 November 6, 1-3pm Lower School Toddler through Grade 4 December 1, 4-5:30pm NYA HOUSE HOUSE OPEN OPEN NORTH YARMOUTH ACADEMY ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PLANNING INTERIOR DESIGN Mölnlycke Health Care New Manufacturing Facility © BlindDog Photography AUBURN PORTLAND PORTSMOUTH BOSTON www.harriman.com Find us on F O C U S Kendra Chubbuck and her husband, John DeWitt, run a gift shop that sells products from 23 Isle au Haut residents. An 8-year-old girl sold $600 worth of lobster through the store.

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