Editing Hancock County, Maine (section)

==Economy==
Of employed persons 16 years and over in 1990, 1,108 indicated involvement in the "agriculture, forestry and fisheries" industry, though 1,206 indicated "farming, forestry and fishing occupations."  The U.S. Census data are not dependable for determining the numbers of individuals involved in the fishing industry. Only firms with 10 or more employees must report their numbers, as well as firms paying workmen's compensation insurance. Because the majority of fishermen in Maine are considered self-employed, the statistics underreport fishing employment.

Cranberry Isles, Deer Isle, Frenchboro, Gouldsboro, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Swans Island and Tremont (Bass Harbor) were identified by a key respondent as fisheries dependent. Bar Harbor, Brooklin, Brooksville, Hancock, Lamoine, Mount Desert, Penobscot, Sedgwick, Sorrento and Sullivan were also noted as having either significant fishing activity or a significant number of people who fish. [[Winter Harbor|Winter Harbor's]] fishing activities were once dwarfed by the economic activity associated with a naval base, but now that the naval base has closed, fishing activity will most likely be the dominant economic activity in the community. [[Salmon farming]] is also popular in the area and [[Maine Salmon]] is an important export.

Hancock County has the longest coastline of any Maine county. Commercial fishing and tourism are the county's most important industries. Hancock County is home to [[Acadia National Park]]  (the only national park in Maine or the New England region, excluding the national sea shore on Cape Cod) and [[Cadillac Mountain]] (the highest point in Maine's coastal region). [[Jackson Laboratory]], noted for cancer research, is located in [[Bar Harbor]]. Two institutions of [[tertiary education|higher education]] are located in Hancock County: [[Maine Maritime Academy]] at Castine and the [[College of the Atlantic]] at Bar Harbor.