ACADIA NATIONAL PARK ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
Meeting Platform: Zoom
February 07, 2022 1:00 p.m.
ATTENDANCE:
Fred Ehrlenbach, Chair
Jacqueline Johnston, Vice Chair
Ben Worcester, Member
Carolyn Gothard, Member
Katherine Heidinger, Member
Ken Cline, Member
Ken Smith, Member
Kendall Davis, Member
Stephen Shea, Member
G.Bruce Wiersma, Member
Matt Horton, Member (*Phone Only – could not get online access)
Kevin Schneider, Superintendent, ANP
Brandon Bies, Deputy Superintendent, ANP
John Kelly, Management Assistant, ANP
Rebecca Cole-Will, Chief of Resource Management, ANP
Keith Johnston, Chief of Facility Management, ANP
Adam Gibson, Social Scientist, ANP
Katie Liming, Public Affairs Officer, ANP
David MacDonald, President & CEO, Friends of Acadia
Nick Fisicelli, President & CEO, Schoodic Institute
Carol Woodcock, Regional Rep, Senator Collins
Members of the Public
Staff Members of ANP
News Media
ABSENT MEMBERS:
Howie Motenko, Member
OPENING REMARKS
The Commission Chair, Fred Ehrlenbach, called the meeting of the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission, Monday, February 07, 2022, 1:00 p.m. to order.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
A motion was made by Ken Cline to accept the agenda for the February 07, 2022, meeting; seconded by Ken Smith; all approved as is, no opposed. Motion carries.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
A motion was made by Ken Smith to accept the minutes of September 13, 2021. It was seconded by Kendall Davis. All approved, no opposed. Motion carries.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT – Kevin Schneider, Superintendent
WELCOME – Kevin Schneider
Introduction
- With COVID, we are still meeting virtually, both here and in the park. We have had very few cases of COVID on our staff and no workplace transmissions. I am proud of how our team has done.
- Introduction of Katie Liming –
- Katie is on temporary detail as our Public Affairs Officer, filling in behind Christie Anastasia. She comes to us from the National Capital Region in Washington, where she is Public Affairs Officer. She will be detailed here for four months while we recruit the position permanently. Welcome Katie!
- Introduction of Brandon Bies, Deputy Superintendent –
- Brandon joins us from Manassas National Battlefield Park, just outside the Washington, D.C. area, where he was the Superintendent for five years. He has worked for the park service for many years. Welcome Brandon!
- Brandon: I also worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff helping to manage the COVID response. I have worked at the park level, the regional level, and the Washington level, but the bulk of my career has been in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. I am excited to be in Maine. I am excited to relocate here with my family, work with a great park and great partners. I am looking forward to meeting everyone in person.
Town Hill Housing
- The Town Hill parcel was originally to be used as a solid waste transfer facility and has been on the books since the 1986 boundary legislation. It consists of 55 acres in Town Hill. We have met with representatives from the four towns on Mount Desert Island (MDI) and the Acadia Disposal District. The four towns have all passed resolutions in support of the proposal to transfer 40 of the 55 acres to the Island Housing Trust for workforce housing, and the National Park Service would retain 15 acres for our employee housing.
- Typically, we have funding for 150 seasonal employees but only have beds for 75. We really see a need to develop housing for our own workforce. We have a need for seasonal employees but in the future, we also see a need for housing for our permanent employees. The transfer station parcel could be an appropriate location for that.
- The Harden Farms parcel in Bar Harbor has also been identified as a location to expand for additional seasonal housing.
- There is a new Park Service Director, Chuck Sams. Director Sams has made housing a priority, so we are hoping that housing funding, Servicewide, gets some traction in the future.
- It is going to take legislation to get the transfer station parcel done because the 1986 legislation restricted it to a transfer station. We are working with the Congressional Delegation. Senator King’s office has requested a drafting service, where the National Park Service drafts legislation to be introduced if Senator King chooses. We expect to submit that draft soon.
- I am pleased at the consensus to use the transfer station parcel as workforce housing for the park and for the community, as well.
American Aquafarms
- Proposed salmon farm in Frenchman’s Bay, at 120 acres, it is of a larger scale that is different from any other aquaculture projects around the park and of significant concern for Acadia National Park. It is 2,000 feet from our boundary on Porcupine Island. We are tracking it closely. We have convened a group of subject matter experts internally, which includes our own staff and staff from the region and Washington offices to vet various aspects of it.
- In terms of its permitting action, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection is reviewing the flow of Frenchman Bay; the Department of Marine Resources review application is on hold until an acceptable salmon species is identified for the stock; and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is waiting for a final review until the final application has been submitted to the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
Winter Entrance Fee Collection
2021 Visitation (Adam Gibson/John Kelly)
Visitation (A. Gibson – PowerPoint Presentation)
- In 2021, we saw 4,069,098 visits to the park.
- Current visitation is about 23% above the 5-year pre-pandemic average
- Schoodic is about 20% above average
- From October 2020 to November 2021, we set a visitation record.
- Maine Dept. of Transportation (DOT) data suggest an increase in Maine visitors travelling to Acadia. A greater percentage of which are entering the park in cars. We had a record low use of the Island Explorer transportation due to their limited operations because of COVID.
- Maine DOT data suggest an increase in visitors traveling by cars.
- Visitors are arriving earlier and in greater numbers causing a strain on park operations.
- This has resulted in: . Close to 760,000 more visits to the park than in previous years.
- About 280,000 more vehicles entering the park than in previous years.
- Analyses of Cadillac Mountain visitation indicate a dramatic drop in visitation due to the reservation system. Were it not for the visitation system, Cadillac could be overparked by as many as 1,000 vehicles.
- Of the 10 most visited parks, Great Smoky Mountains, Zion, and Grand Teton all have similar visitation increases.
- Three parks (Glacier, Rocky Mountain, and Yosemite) have reservation systems in place which limit their visitation.
Transportation Plan (John Kelly, PowerPoint Presentation)
Transportation Plan
- 2019 - Transportation Plan was completed
- Manages private and commercial vehicle parking and transportation
- Adaptive management approach
- Major components include
- Acadia Gateway Center
- HullsCover Visitor Center
- Island Explorer Bus System
- Tour Bus Concessions
- Vehicle Reservation System
Gateway Center
- Maine DOT/NPS transportation center is moving forward
- 11,100 square-foot welcome center
- $24.3 million cost with $4 million (presently pending) from the National Park Service.
- Construction in spring 2023; opening in 2025 (tentative dates)
- Location is 3 miles north of MDI on the west side of Route 3
- Presently, there is the Downeast Transportation Operation Center and bus depot
- There will be 250 parking spaces with 32 EV spaces, a bus plaza for Island Explorer and commercial tour buses, and the 11,100 square foot welcome center.
- The welcome center will offer information through the Maine Tourism Association statewide and region, the National Park Service (information, park passes, and possibly vehicle reservations), Eastern National’s park store, and the Downeast Transportation transit hub outside.
Hulls Cove Visitor Center
- The Hulls Cove Visitor Center will be rebuilt to grade with the expanded parking lot, with museum and interpretive exhibits. There will be more parking and an Island Explorer transit hub. This project is on hold but still a critical component of our plan.
Island Explorer
- Enhanced bus service to serve to park and Acadia Gateway Center
- Expand the fleet from 32 to 51 buses over the next 5 years
- Record ridership in 2019 with a total of 8 million riders since 1999
- No service in 2020; limited service in 2021 due to COVID
- Plan is for service to return to normal in 2022
Tour Bus Concessions
- New concession contracts for bus tours but on hold
- Eventual bus length limit of 38 feet
- Phase out of commercial use authorizations for bus tours
- Delayed implementation due to COVID-19 due to conditions of COVID & marketing
Cadillac Vehicle Reservation System
- Operated May 26 - October 19, 2021 (147 days) o Cadillac Summit Road - Sunrise
- Cadillac Summit Road – Daytime
- Reservations only available through rec.gov ($6.00 each)
- Timed entry windows; no required departure time
- Validated by scan of QR code on smart phone or printout
- 30% of reservations available 90 days in advance
- 70% of reservations available at 10:00 a.m. EST, two days in advance
- 1 sunrise reservation per 7 days; 1 daytime reservation per day
- Only applies to vehicles, not pedestrians or bicycles
- We found it to be successful.
Vehicle Reservation Numbers - 2021 (Adam Gibson)
- 147 days in operation
- 235,817 reservations available
- 199,631 reservations sold (85%)
- 99.5% of sunrise reservations sold
- 83% of daytime reservations sold
- No-show rate for sunrise reservations 22%
- No-show rate for daytime reservations 19%
- 42% of reservations were made the same day
- 28% turnaround rate (the refusal rate tends to increase throughout the day).
- The summit was at, or close to, capacity from about 10:00 to 4:00 daily
Construction/Maintenance – (Keith Johnston)
- Park Headquarters Maintenance Facility
- Shared an online drawing of the plans for the new maintenance facility
- Location is where existing 10 site RV campsites are all presently established
- Hopefully, will break ground in the fall of 2022
- Other Upcoming Construction Projects
- GAOA (Great America Outdoors Act) will fund the Schoodic subsurface waterlines & subsurface wastewater system. Our goal is to remove the wastewater treatment plant and go with the subsurface system.
- Rehab of the Duck Brook Motor Bridge, interior walkway
- Paving Cadillac Mountain Road
- Blackwoods and Seawall Campground Entrances paved
- Paving the Park Loop Road, from beginning on one-way to end of one-way
- Old Farm Road paved
Resource Management Updates (Rebecca Cole-Will)
- Great Meadow Culvert Replacement & Wetland Enhancement (PowerPoint)
- Great Meadow is the largest wetland in Acadia National Park
- It is a large infrastructure project near Sieur de Mont
- Flooding due to the culvert being undersized for the large wetland and water backs up which causes ongoing issues.
- Great Meadow has a poor rating in all of Acadia
- Wild Acadia is leading partnership work
- The culvert needs to allow water to flow and limit back-up
- The design work has started
- We are unsure when the construction will occur, but it is needed to ensure ecological structure of the wetland
- Ecological Heath of Otter Cove Community Science Grant
- The Thriving Earth Exchange pairs a community scientist with community questions; in this case the Town of Mount Desert asking questions about the health of Otter Cove.
- The park service is one of three partners
- Abe Miller-Rushing, our NPS Science Coordinator is working as the community scientist on this project, along with Dr. Chris Paterson, Marine Scientist Biologist from College of the Atlantic, and Hannah Webber, Director of the Marine Science program at Schoodic Institute. The team will listen to and answer questions around the health of the inner cove. There are a lot of long-term changes, possibly because of the causeway, as well as a water treatment plant which use to be in the area.
- Work will apply marine science through monitoring and ecological studies to understand the issues and, hopefully, bring some resolution to solve the local challenges to our natural resources at the inner cove.
- Some research scientist interns from Schoodic Institute began some biodiversity monitoring in the cove last year.
- The next step will be to put together some community listening sessions to help answer questions.
OLD BUSINESS
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Status of Appointments – Brandon Bies
- Thank you to Kathy Flanders for helping keep track and briefing me on the status, as I recently arrived.
- There are presently 6 open positions on the commission
- We presently have 2 commission members whose appointments have lapsed and have been resubmitted for reappointment – Town of Winter Harbor (Katherine Heidinger) and Member at Large (Ken Cline)
- We have 2 new nominations waiting for their appointments, Town of Swans Island (with the resignation of Dexter Lee) and The Member at Large (vice Emory).
- We have 2 positions with no appointments or nominations, Frenchboro and Cranberry Isle
- The nominations have been received and forwarded to the Secretary for action and we will keep you informed.
- Jackie Johnston and the Advisory Commission proposed a Resolution of Appreciation to Dexter Lee, who has resigned from the Commission after serving since 1986, as follows:
“We offer our deep appreciation to Dexter Lee for his unparalleled 35 years of service on the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission.
Dexter’s experience is one of the longest serving elected official in Hancock County, his service in a multitude of public positions at the local and regional level, and his connection to the Swan’s Island fishing community provided the commission with the perspective of a well-informed seasoned community leader. His knowledge of local history and deep understanding of coastal town priorities were highly regarded during sensitive public discussions such as establishment of Park boundaries.
Dexter was a member of the original Acadia National Park Advisory Commission established in 1986, and his contributions perfectly illustrated the vital role played by the Commission’s town representatives.
It should be noted that Dexter exhibited great commitment – just to show up! Traveling by boat and other supplemental modes of transport in all seasons required planning and, at times, nerve and a strong stomach. As one of our members said today, “If I were going into a fight, I’d want to have Dexter by my side.”
We will miss Dexter’s candid and to the point observations and are indebted to him for his insight and selfless dedication”.
Motion read by Jackie Johnston; Callie Gothard made a motion to accept; Ben ‘Lee’ Worcester seconded the motion; all approved, no oppose. The motion carries.
Kevin Schneider: Dexter, thank you from the National Park Service. After 35 years, I don’t think you are resigning from the commission, I think you get to retire from it. But in all seriousness, thank you for your service to the commission and providing myself, my predecessors, and the park staff with your unique perspective and insight. We really do appreciate it. And it is so important to the park to understand its communities and you have helped us to do that. Thank you so much! We appreciate your service.
NEW BUSINESS
- Announcement of Election of 2022 Officers for June Meeting – Carolyn Gothard o Per 2016 Bylaws, officers are limited to three consecutive terms
- Nominations made by email up to 30 days before the June 6 meeting
- Voting for election will take place at the June 6 meeting for three positions:
- Chair
- Vice Chair
- Secretary
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Lands Committee – No Report
Science & Education Committee – No Report
Park Use Committee – No Report
History Committee – No Report
FRIENDS OF ACADIA - David MacDonald, President & CEO
Thank you to Dexter Lee for your amazing service to the ANP Advisory Commission and Acadia National Park.
There is a leadership transition taking place at Friends of Acadia. A search is underway and hopefully, you can meet my successor at your June meeting. In the meantime, I am super confident in Friends of the Acadia, the strength of the organization, the commitment of our staff, the board of volunteers, and close partnership with Kevin and his team.
Our primary focus for 2022 will be on Youth Engagement, Visitor Experience, Wild Acadia, and Trails and Carriage Roads.
Our Board approved a budget for 2022 and we see increased grants in all programmatic aspects of our work. Our doner community has stepped up nicely during the pandemic. And some programs that were scaled back or put on hold during the pandemic, we hope come back online, the Island Explorer, the Acadia Youth Conservation Corp, etc. We have our fingers crossed that 2022 will be back to normal.
While the Youth Conservation Corp was put on hold for two years, the park took advantage of the time to rethink the program and improve it. They took feedback and made some adjustments to the program. The Youth Conservation Corps is a program where we hire about one dozen local teens, between 15 to 18 years of age, to work on the trail system. Thank you to Keith Johnston and others who have helped to make that program even better. It is a great program, and it has been very successful. Friends of Acadia is very happy to help fund it.
We will also hire another 15-16 seasonal employees to help at the park, from managing the Summit of Cadillac to the Wild Gardens, Recreation Technicians, the Volunteer Program, Digital Media Team, and projects like Cadillac, Great Meadow, and Bass Harbor Marsh. We are thrilled to run these programs and to help the park. They really add value.
The need of these programs comes from the park’s inability to do it themselves. The budget cycle in Washington is a real frustration. The continued reliance on Continuing Resolutions and not adopting the Interior Appropriations Bill that had so much work put into it. The FY22 Interior Appropriations Bill includes a significant increase in the park’s ‘base’ budget and times that we have gotten increases have been few and far between. Our Delegation has been supportive in Washington. We will continue to advocate for that kind of funding, and we will continue to do what we can to help fill the gap. But it is important, as the park sees an increase in visitation, that there is some funding increase to keep track of that.
Friends of Acadia has been watching the progress with the American Aquafarms proposal. Frenchman Bay United has modeling on their website with research in water quality and the significant implications. The effluents from their proposal will not wash out to sea, but continually circle around. Maine DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) has taken note of the modeling and asked for complete and more in-depth information.
Stephanie Clement: A Comprehensive Assessment for Accessibility study has been completed in the park. A grant, received from the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, is making this project possible with Friends of Acadia through the Epley Institute. From signage to more specific needs or locations will enable the park, via contracts, to be included and enable park staff to work on smaller projects, like restriping parking lots. More information is on the Friends of Acadia website. The project was headed by Stephanie Clement of Friends of Acadia and Chris Barter of the National Park Service. The park has done some amazing work and, hopefully, will be more accessible.
Jackie Johnston and the Advisory Commission proposed a Resolution of Appreciation to David MacDonald, who is resigning as Friends of Acadia’s President & CEO after serving for 10 years, as follows:
“The Acadia National Park Advisory Commission expresses its sincere gratitude for David MacDonald’s leadership and vision as the President and CEO of Friends of Acadia (FOA).
Since David’s arrival in 2012, Friends of Acadia membership increased from over 3,600 to more than 5,000. David recognized the challenges of uncertain federal funding, as well as the need to protect park resources and the visitor experience while contending with both increased visitation and the consequences of climate change. To that end, FOA volunteers rehabilitated miles of carriages roads and paths and summit stewards educated thousands of visitors.
David’s steadfast commitment to both Acadia National Park and its surrounding communities
helped advance efforts on key projects and initiatives such as the Acadia Gateway Center and Island Explorer, the addition of Schoodic Woods property, and the initiation of the Vehicle Reservation System.
Simultaneously, David led his team to build a foundation for the future by focusing on engagement with youth on a variety of levels through virtual education programs, Acadia Teacher Fellow and Teacher collaborations, establishment of outdoor classrooms at local public
schools and the provision of nature study kits to assist families and schools in outdoor discovery during COVID.
Finally, David’s significant efforts advocating for passage of the Great American Outdoors Act contributed to the availability of federal funding which will address deficiencies in park infrastructure for years to come.
We wish David well in his next journey, and hope that he, Caroline, Eliza, and Jesse continue to enjoy Acadia National Park, as well as the entire great State of Maine”.
Motion read by Jackie Johnston; Katherine Heidinger made a motion to accept; Ken Cline seconded the motion; all approved, no oppose. The motion carries.
Kevin Schneider: Everyone at the park is going to miss you and appreciates all you have done for Acadia National Park. You have improved the visitor experience and have been a wonderful advocate for the park. It has been wonderful working with you my last six years here.
SCHOODIC INSTITUTE UPDATE – Nicholas Fisichelli, President & CEO
Kudos to David MacDonald. You have done so much for Acadia, and Schoodic Institute as well. You have done so much for conservation at Acadia. We at Schoodic wish David well.
We have been busy with Winterfest. We have held a variety of activities, nature walks, arts & crafts events, a winter themed movie, and ice cream! It was a great event!
We were not as busy at Schoodic as we wanted, due to the Delta variant. There were no overnight education programs for middle school students.
In December, we held a retirement ceremony at Schoodic for Advisory Commission member, Jackie Johnston. Jackie retired from the Navy base and had spent many hours at Schoodic when the navy base was stationed here.
We have a busy year ahead and are hoping to keep moving ahead and adapting with the pandemic. We have Casco Bay High School urban youth coming. We have lots of new Maine groups who are signed up for this year. There will be three Native American gatherings happening at Schoodic this year. And lots of other education and arts groups as well, utilizing this amazing research learning campus in Acadia.
The Science Education program for 2021 was super busy, thanks to Emma Albee at Schoodic and Abe Miller-Rushing at the park. We are fostering a lot of research here and had approximately 84 research projects and 43 science publications that came out this past year.
We have created and supported early career opportunities in conservation. Last year we supported 34 internships, fellowships, and science positions. One new fellowship program focusing on conservation careers was provided through a partnership with the Park Service and the National Park Foundation made possible through the generous support of a major doner. This is called the Cathy Gero Acadia Early Career Fellowship in Science Research, Environmental Science Education and Science Communication. This year it will include three fellows in Science Research, Environmental Science Education and Science Communication.
The Acadia Science Symposium will hold multi-session events on ZOOM versus a full day in the fall. The link is:
http://schoodicinstitute.org/
The Maine Coast Heritage Trust announced a conservation of a 1700-acre parcel adjacent to Schoodic, to be used for ecological integrity, science and education, and recreation. It is known as the north parcel. The south parcel previously became part of Acadia National Park for Schoodic Woods. We are looking forward to working with MCHT and the local communities on the conservation.
ADVISORY COMMISSION COMMENTS
None
PUBLIC COMMENT
Carol Woodcock, Regional Representative Senator Collins – First, it is nice to see everyone today. Also, you may have noticed Chris Rector, Regional Representative for Senator King is not here today. Chris has retired from his position with Senator King’s office, effective February 2, 2022. There is no replacement for him yet.
CLOSING COMMENTS
The Commission Vice Chair made closing comments. Please remember to send any suggestions for agenda items for the June 6th, 2022, meeting to Fred Ehrlenbach.
ADJOURNMENT
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 6th, 2022, 1:00 p.m. and will be a virtual meeting as published in the FEDERAL REGISTER. (This is based on the Secretary's Decision that all meetings be held virtually until further notice due to COVID-19. Notification will be published if the meeting is changed to an in-person meeting).
Motion was made by Ken Smith to adjourn, seconded by Ben “Lee” Worcester, and approved by all, no opposed. Motion passed.
Meeting adjourned at 2:27 pm
Minutes Submitted by Kathy Flanders
