Acadia National Park was the first U.S. national park formed by the donation of private lands. This resulted in a patchwork of park land intertwined with local villages. In 1986, Congress passed legislation that established Acadia’s official boundaries.
Some privately held parcels were included within the official boundary. When Congress established Acadia’s official boundary in 1986, some privately held parcels were included in the park and by protecting lands in sensitive areas along its borders, the park can preserve the natural soundscapes, vistas, habitats, and dark night skies that contribute to the magic of the visitor experience.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund is a critically important federal funding source that has enabled Acadia to work with willing sellers as parcels inside park boundaries come up for sale. Acadia National Park must submit funding requests for land acquisition well in advance, and the federal appropriations cycle does not always meet the time frame that sellers need.
Friends of Acadia, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and private philanthropists have stepped in to assist the park with purchasing threatened lands in and adjacent to Acadia and hold them until the park is able to acquire them through Land and Water Conservation Fund appropriations.
This Acadia Land Legacy partnership has helped the park protect significant properties bordering Lower Hadlock Pond, Seal Cove Pond, Northeast Creek, and more.
Join
Donate
Acadia National Park