BRIDGTON – The Lakes Environmental Association of Bridgton will hold an “Eggs and Issues” breakfast buffet on Tuesday, accompanied by a talk on the state’s Nature-Based Tourism Initiative.

The event is open to the public at no charge, and will take place at the Route 302 Roadhouse Restaurant in West Bridgton. The breakfast kicks off at 7:30 a.m., and the lecture, estimated to last 45 minutes, will begin at 8 a.m.

Phil Savignano, senior tourism specialist at the Maine Office of Tourism, will deliver the address. The LEA and the Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the event, while the Office of Tourism is providing the breakfast.

The LEA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of the lakes in western Maine. The Office of Tourism is an agency promoting recreational opportunities in the state to boost tourism.

According to the LEA’s statement, the Nature-Based Tourism Initiative was created in 2005 by a Texas-based tourism consulting firm. The initiative’s goal is to bring tourists to the “rural, less-developed areas of the state.” To encourage tourists to visit places away from the Maine coast, however, the report advocated that communities “provide amenities and … market natural places.”

Savignano joined the Office of Tourism in 2005. He previously spent 20 years working at L.L. Bean. His outdoor experience includes coordination of the Outdoor Discovery Schools programs and operation of outdoor programs at Pineland Farms.

Seating is limited and may be reserved by e-mailing lakes@megalink.net or phoning 647-8580.

Another Eggs and Issues event will take place April 17, also at the Roadhouse Restaurant from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. Alan Caron, president and founder of GrowSmart Maine, will speak on the Brookings Institution Report and its effect on the Lakes Region.

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