Rapid, Unpredictable, and Extreme Change–There’s No Map for That

2021 was a year of unpredictable, extreme change. The June 9th storm event that caused catastrophic damage to the carriage roads and surrounding natural resources was a call to action. We responded immediately to repair the carriage roads. Resource managers, with great assistance from Friends of Acadia stewardship volunteers, worked to mitigate short-term damages. The enthusiastic team deployed erosion control wattles to protect fragile wetlands. We’re now conducting experiments and monitoring to see how the landscape heals.

But what is the longer-term call to action? There are few models of how to respond to rapid environmental change that is outside the range of historical normal. Through Wild Acadia, Friends of Acadia, the National Park Service, and Schoodic Institute are collaborating to implement forward-thinking, adaptive management based on leading-edge scientific research.

Projects at Cadillac Mountain, the Great Meadow Wetland, and Bass Harbor Marsh are applying novel thinking to this work. The Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework provides a vastly different approach to natural resource management than the traditional “restoration” approach. With RAD we consider whether to resist the effects of climate change, accept them, or actively manage to direct them toward desired future conditions. [Read more on RAD.]

With support and leadership from Friends of Acadia, we can make good management decisions that are not business as usual, but rather opportunities for novel solutions to novel problems.

Learn how Friends of Acadia helps protect Acadia’s lands and resources.

More Reach, More Learning, More Future Stewards

Things changed dramatically during the pandemic for park rangers delivering educational programming to teachers and schools. Suddenly, in-person programming came to a halt, and we shifted to creatively designing and delivering virtual programming.

We had a captive audience in 2020-21 as schools were clamoring for virtual programming, even reaching out and asking us to create programs such as Marine Chemistry for sixth graders. Our rangers have become experts in engaging and interacting with students of all ages via the screen. In 2021, they delivered 632 virtual programs, serving 13,581 students all over the country.

While virtual learning is important, getting kids to experience nature up close is far more effective at creating future stewards. That’s why we brought back in-person programs in 2021 and piloted a series of self-guided activities where teachers could take their classrooms into the park on their own. These tours were a hit and we’re expanding them in 2022.

None of this would have been possible without Friends of Acadia’s steadfast support. From the paddle raise proceeds that helped buy new technology and equipment, to continued investments in Acadia Teacher Fellows, the Schoodic Education Adventure, and outdoor classroom grants to area schools, Friends of Acadia is a critical partner in bringing Acadia to students and teachers and creating tomorrow’s stewards.

Learn more about how Friends of Acadia supports building Tomorrow’s Stewards.

What Does 4 million Visits Mean to Acadia?

Acadia National Park set a record of 4.1 million estimated visits in 2021—an increase of about 15 percent over the previous record. Ninety-eight percent of visitors arrived in the park in a personal vehicle last year, which led to traffic congestion and parking scarcity in many areas of the park.

The National Park Service implemented the first full year of the Cadillac Summit Road vehicle reservation system in 2021, and it was successful in improving the visitor experience and traffic safety.

While National Park Service budgets have in essence decreased over the last 10 years when accounting for inflation, Friends of Acadia has helped improve the Acadia experience by supporting the Island Explorer bus service, funding infrastructure needed for the Cadillac Summit Road reservation system, and fielding teams of Recreation Technicians and Summit Stewards who help monitor visitation statistics and educate visitors in the field about how to be good park stewards. [Read more here.]

Learn how Friends of Acadia works to enhance the visitor experience, while protecting our resources.

2021 Marked Another Milestone for Acadia’s Carriage Roads

In October 2021, we swung the gate to reopen the Eagle Lake Carriage Road Loop to park visitors. This completed the restoration of Acadia National Park’s historic carriage roads—an initiative three decades in the making!

In the 1990s, Friends of Acadia began a partnership with the park to restore and maintain the carriage roads. The National Park Service provided funding for the rehabilitation, while Friends of Acadia raised money to create an endowment to care for the roads in perpetuity.

The carriage roads were in terrible shape prior to the restoration due to limited funding. Rehabilitating them was far more complicated than just filling washouts with gravel and removing unwanted vegetation. The system features numerous stonework structures, including culverts and retaining walls, 16 unique granite bridges, and two gatehouses. The road surface was designed to incorporate intricate layers of successively smaller stone, and a final surface comprised of finely ground granite, clay, and other components. Finding the proper equipment, sourcing unique materials, and tapping long-dormant expertise was not easy.

The roads are considerably better now thanks to the commitment of all who worked on the restoration over decades. The 45-mile carriage road system will remain one of the best in the country for current and future generations to enjoy.

Steve Allison is Acadia National Park’s Roads Foreman today. Merle Cousins was the Carriage Roads Foreman at Acadia National Park for 36 years, including when the carriage road restoration work began.

Learn more about Friends of Acadia’s support for Acadia’s trails and carriage roads.

Defending Acadia in 2021

Support for national parks is one of the most bipartisan issues in the United States. Friends of Acadia works with partners to highlight Acadia’s funding needs with the Maine Congressional delegation and other national leaders. In 2021, as President of the National Parks Friends Alliance Steering Committee, FOA President David MacDonald was well positioned to draw attention to emerging issues in national parks, such as climate change, crowding/traffic congestion, and insufficient park housing.

In addition to national issues, Friends of Acadia worked with local and national partners to fight local threats facing Acadia. Chief among these was the proposal from American Aquafarms to lease two sixty-acre sites in Frenchman Bay for industrial-sized salmon farms.

We collaborated with partners on strategy, held a member briefing on the issue, and commented during the regulatory process. In April 2022, Maine state agencies halted consideration of American Aquafarms’ lease applications, and Friends of Acadia stands ready to re-engage should the company apply for new leases.