BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 8, 2020
One might think that sporting camps and wilderness lodges around Maine would be the ideal locations for people to escape COVID-19, with their remote locations and focus on outdoor activities seeming to be perfect ways to practice social distancing. But in fact, many of those businesses are facing a looming crisis. Harvey Calden, president of the Maine Sporting Camp Association, said, “I’ve got camps calling me saying ‘if we don’t get this straightened out, I am definitely bankrupt and I am out of business.’ It’s very, very serious.” Many sporting camps see a majority of their business from May 15 to July 4 during prime fishing weeks. Most of their customer base comes from out of state, and guests would have to quarantine for 14 days after arriving.