On Route 11 in Sherman, a sign shows the route of the Katahdin Woods & Waters scenic byway along a field of blooming flowers in this June 19, 2014, photo.

The town of Patten would benefit from increased tourists if a national park were created in the nearby Katahdin Woods & Waters land.

Joel Fitzpatrick, owner of Patten Drug, says his pharmacy mostly serves locals in Patten and the surrounding towns but that the pharmacy carries a few items to cater to tourists who pass through the area. Fitzpatrick said they brought this stuffed black bear into the pharmacy as an attention getter for bear hunters who come to the North Woods in the fall.

Terry Hill, who owns and runs Shin Pond Village with her husband Craig, thinks that bringing in more tourists to the North Woods would help businesses there.

Nathan Richardson, owner of Richardson's Hardware in Patten, puts a board back on a rack in the lumber shed at the hardware store on June 19, 2014. Richardson thinks that the increased tourism a national park would bring could benefit Patten.

A sign near the north entrance to Baxter State Park along Grand Lake Road indicates the start of a scenic byway connected with the Katahdin Woods & Waters recreation area.