WASHINGTON D.C. – The Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), Chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee, today released the April episode of his “Inside Maine” podcast, in which he discusses the opportunities and challenges facing Maine as it enters the summer tourism season. Senator King was joined by Eric Stiles, the CEO and President of Friends of Acadia, and Nate Cloutier, the Director of Government Affairs at HospitalityMaine to highlight National Park Week and to discuss the importance of the state’s outdoor and tourism economy. King and his guests also discussed the labor shortages impacting hospitality industries in Maine.

“From Kittery to Katahdin, the tourism industry supports thousands of families and communities across Maine – it’s part of what makes our state ‘Vacationland,’” said Senator King. “As millions of Americans come to Maine this summer, we face challenges like rapidly-rising visitation numbers at Acadia National Park, labor shortages in our hotels and restaurants, and a lack of affordable childcare and housing that has put the industry under stress. It was a pleasure to sit down with Eric Stiles from Friends of Acadia and Nate Cloutier from HospitalityMaine to discuss solutions to these challenges while highlighting the resiliency of Maine’s tourism industry.”

Eric Stiles is the President & CEO of Friends of Acadia, where he works to preserve, protect, and promote stewardship of Acadia National Park and the surrounding communities. Before his current role, Eric was the President and CEO of New Jersey Audubon, the state’s largest conservation organization. Before New Jersey Audubon, Stiles worked for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Stiles holds an M.S. in Ecology and an M.P.A. at Rutgers University, and a B.S. in Biology from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Eric and his family live in Bar Harbor.

Nate Cloutier is the Director of Government Affairs at HospitalityMaine. He is responsible for advancing HospitalityMaine’s legislative and political agendas in Augusta and Washington, D.C. As Maine’s only non-profit dedicated to the hospitality industry, Nate works to address the labor shortages and develop, renew, and expand Maine’s hospitality workforce by inspiring new generations to see the hospitality industry as a viable long-term career path. Before HospitalityMaine, Nate worked as a consultant for Eaton Peabody in Augusta. Nate graduated from of the University of Maine in 2015.

Senator King has been a long-time advocate for preserving public lands and encouraging outdoor recreation. Senator King helped lead the passage the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law; the legislation includes the Restore Our Parks Act – a bill led by King – and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Permanent Funding Act. Because of his work, in 2020, Senator King was awarded the inaugural National Park Foundation (NPF) “Hero” Award. The historic legislative package continues Senator King’s career-long focus on conservation efforts, dating back to his work prior to running for elected office through his years as Governor and his service in the Senate.

Senator King is among the Senate’s loudest voices in addressing national labor shortages. This week, he sent a letter to Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su emphasizing the urgent need for Maine businesses to hire seasonal workers through the H-2B program. In March, Senator King led a bipartisan group urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reconsider plans that would more than double the fees businesses pay for non-immigrant work visas. He also called on the Biden administration to expedite work visas as to support the winter ski and tourism industry. These temporary visas are critical for helping small businesses across Maine that cannot find local applicants to meet their labor needs. Last year, the Senator supported Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act, including the Visit America Act, which would coordinate national tourism policy, develop the tourism workforce for Maine, and bring more visitors to fuel the state economy.

To listen to the April edition of Senator King’s podcast click here or find it on Apple Podcasts.

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