The regular care and maintenance of Acadia National Park demands significant effort and heavy equipment. Carriage roads, unpaved roads, vistas, bridges, and campgrounds all need the use of heavy machinery such as dump trucks, excavators, graders, and loaders.

Much of the current fleet of heavy machinery was acquired in the early to mid-90s as a part of the Carriage Road Campaign and is nearing the end of its useful life. This year’s paddle raise aims to refresh this fleet with new equipment that will last for the next 30 years.

The need for heavy equipment is more critical now than ever before. This equipment is essential not only for the routine maintenance of the park’s assets, but also for Acadia’s ability to recover from recent storm damage, which has been frequent and unprecedented in scale.

New equipment will enable the park to respond quickly, without delays associated with fixing old equipment or renting equipment and training operators on how to use it. The park’s top priority is to replace two dump trucks from 1997 that have seen heavy use over the past 27 years in maintaining the carriage roads and other gravel roads. New dump trucks will be much safer and more efficient.

Friends of Acadia is often able to purchase equipment faster, more cost-effectively, and with greater nimbleness, ensuring the park receives the equipment it needs most promptly. That’s why this Paddle Raise matters!

We ask you to dig deep and raise your paddle high for heavy equipment for Acadia!