MILLINOCKET – After more than four hours of tinkering and re-thinking Friday, participants in the Katahdin Area Planning Conference crafted a tentative vision for the year 2050 that focused on local people as the region’s greatest asset.

Sixty-two of the more than 80 committee members from East Millinocket, Medway, Millinocket and Woodville met in the gymnasium of Stearns High School to work on the vision. The four-day conference will continue today with brainstorming for objectives and priorities to enable the vision.

Sitting in metal chairs at tables fanned out around a projector screen, participants told their ideas to facilitators from Advanced Management Catalyst Inc., a Wiscasset-based consulting firm. The statement created from their ideas was meant to form an overall picture of what the representatives from the four-town area wanted the region to look like in roughly a half-century.

As it read at the end of Friday, the tentative page-long document emphasized the importance of being “committed and responsible stewards” for natural resources such as Mount Katahdin and various waterways, as well as having rich cultural offerings and “lifelong learning” opportunities.

Additionally, residents envisioned a broad-based economy with “innovative small businesses that sustainably utilize natural and intellectual resources,” along with an array of enriching amenities for visitors. A celebration of religious diversity, an integrated health and wellness system and cooperative decision-making across the area were also key components of the working plan.

Committee members may make further changes to the vision, but they are expected to sign off on it today, according to the facilitators.

As the day wrapped up, Medway resident Carol LeVasseur described the process as a little “overwhelming,” and said the need to come together as a region has been coming for a while, alluding to this year’s paper-mill shutdowns.

Great Northern Paper mills in Millinocket and East Millinocket were shut down during bankruptcy proceedings, putting 1,300 people out of work. The mills were later sold to Brascan Corp., and the company name changed to Katahdin Paper.

Only the mill in East Millinocket has restarted, with a reduced work force.

“There’s a lot of people concerned about where the region is headed,” LeVasseur said.

After being excused from high school classes Friday to take part in the conference, 17-year-old Matt Fleming from Woodville said he was pleased with the consensus people were able to reach, but he was looking forward to delving into actual issues when the conference opens today.

At the end of the first day, Fleming was undecided about the effect a unified vision could have for the region.

“There’s got to be a lot more convincing before I’ll make up my mind either way,” Fleming said.