Assessing the Economics of Maine’s Coastal Tourism Development: The Ecosystem Services of Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park

Principal Investigator: Katharine Ruskin (UMaine, Ecology and Environmental Sciences)

Partners: Aaron Strong (School of Marine Sciences) Nicholas Fisichelli (Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park), Abraham Miller-Rushing (National Park Service), and Tora Johnson (UMM, GIS program)

Abstract: Tourism is an important and growing sector of Maine’s economy. In 2016, Acadia National Park opened the Schoodic Woods Campground, its first new campground developed since 1936. The campground provides greater visitor access to Schoodic Peninsula, increasing the valuation of ecosystem services (economic benefits to humans provided by ecosystems) in terms of recreational experiences, but it may negatively influence other ecosystem services such as biodiversity. The economic impacts of new development on public lands is a critical question for assessing future economic growth in Maine, as the recreation industry grows and new public lands develop. In this project, we focus on these questions for the Schoodic Peninsula of Acadia National Park. Through the work of two undergraduate researchers, we seek to (1) quantify the valuation of ecosystem services provided by Schoodic Peninsula, (2) estimate the changes in valuation that have resulted from the development the campground, and (3) provide recommendations for how future development in the area can maximize economic benefits. Our results will inform the trajectory of development on Schoodic Peninsula, providing an opportunity for strategic growth that optimizes the value of both market and non-market ecosystem services for local stakeholders such as business owners. Further, the two student researchers funded by this grant will work directly with undergraduates in EES 217, a weekend field course, to collect data for this project. As a result, a wide audience of undergraduates will engage with an active research project that is geared toward strategically improving Maine’s economy while maintaining our natural resources. Thus, this project will build on the national reputations of both UMaine and the state of Maine as leaders in the study of recreation and natural resources.