Gulf of Maine Summit generates

a sense of urgency
By Andi Rierden, Editor

On the eve of the Gulf of Maine Summit held at the end of October, Jonathan Tourtellot, the director of sustainable tourism at the National Geographic Society, took the stage and presented his audience with several innovative challenges. One was to establish the “first international world heritage marine cultural landscape” in the Gulf of Maine. He suggested Passamaquoddy Bay. Another was to create map guides and trails signposted from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia with the emphasis on what Tourtellot has coined, “geotourism,” tourism that “sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics and heritage.” The Gulf of Maine needs your help, Tourtellot said. “It's time to push the agenda.”

Governors and premiers sign

historic proclamation

One of the highlights of the Summit was the signing by the governors and premiers in the region of a proclamation supporting the Gulf of Maine Council's work in habitat restoration and protection, information distribution and promoting sustainable maritime activities. Click below to view the signed document:

Proclamation (English)

Proclamation (French)

By Maureen Kelly

If a conservation plan recommended by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service [USFWS] is approved this winter, land on 87 islands off the coast of Maine will be eligible for incorporation into the Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and 13 Maine islands will be recommended for wilderness status. Presently, the refuge complex is comprised of five wildlife refuges strung along the Maine coast and includes 42 islands that provide important habitat and nesting grounds for birds considered at-risk by either the state or federal government.