My wife and I recently moved from Gorham back to her hometown of Mount Chase, located on the northern border of the proposed Katahdin Woods & Waters National Park and Recreation Area.

There, we’ll take over her family business, Mt. Chase Lodge, which is a recreational sporting lodge catering to hunters, hikers, snowmobilers, skiers and vacationers who appreciate the adventure and tranquility of the North Woods. Sporting camps are loved by many, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to carry on the business that drew my wife’s family to the area more than 40 years ago.

We chose to relocate to Mount Chase because the area is unlike any other. We cannot imagine a better neighbor than a national park.

A national park will bring people to Mount Chase and the Katahdin region, and they will spend money in our local communities at our gas stations, in our grocery stores and at our lodges.

Northern Maine is an astonishing place, but is largely unrecognized. A national park will put Mount Chase and the Katahdin region on the map. Our new home is a treasure and absolutely deserves national recognition.

My family and business need Maine’s congressional delegation to be leaders to take advantage of this historic opportunity. We are very disappointed that Sen. Angus King has not clearly and publicly expressed his support for the national park or the recently discussed national monument proposal.

The proposal to create an up-to-150,000-acre national park east of Baxter State Park has been on the table for years. Sen. King needs to work to make this happen now. Polls show that 67 percent of people in the 2nd Congressional District support the proposal. I am one of those people. There is no time to waste.

Michael Downing

Mount Chase