ELLSWORTH, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King and Congressman Bruce Poliquin announced they will be introducing companion legislation in the Senate and House to make important revisions to boundary policies at Acadia National Park (ANP) and to resolve recent disputes between local harvesters and the National Park Service (NPS) in and around the park. The legislation is based off of bills that were introduced last Congress by Senator King and Congressman Poliquin.

“Washington may not understand it, but in Maine there is a time-honored tradition of open access to tidal land – and that tradition has allowed Maine harvesters to work the flats of the intertidal zone at Acadia for nearly one hundred years,” Senator King said. “Congressman Poliquin and I are committed to ensuring that these longstanding local rights are respected by the federal government and that no Maine harvester will ever be denied access to the resources that have supported their livelihoods and their families for generations. Our bill will accomplish that and resolve the existing boundary issue with Acadia so that the park can continue to be a good neighbor to the surrounding communities and those who call them home.”

“For generations, Maine families have been harvesting and working the flats of the intertidal zone here in Acadia, and it is critical that their right to use the flats—providing for their livelihoods and businesses—is protected,” said Congressman Poliquin. “I’m pleased to push forward this comprehensive solution to these harvesting issues and to provide much needed revisions to the boundary policies at Acadia to help the park, its surrounding communities and all those who come here to enjoy its beauty.”

The legislation will also address a wide range of issues related to Acadia, including:

• Allowing for the 2015 Schoodic Woods land transfer to the NPS while making clear that the 1986 boundary law remains permanent.
• Releasing restrictions on a parcel of land in Tremont that has been unusable for decades so it can finally be utilized for public purposes as determined by the local community.
• Making the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission, which ensures important local input in park issues, permanent.
• Ensuring that traditional uses of the intertidal zone are protected and harvesters’ rights upheld.

In 2015, ANP was deeded more than 1,400 acres on the Schoodic Peninsula by an anonymous donor. This was a welcome gift from the local towns and communities. It was only after the land was transferred to ANP that the NPS informed the public that the legal authority they used for the transfer came from a 1929 law that many in the Bar Harbor area believed had been repealed in 1986, after successful efforts to pass a law that set boundary limits on the park. The boundary law was crafted due to growing concerns about the size of the park and its impact on the tax base.

The local towns and residents were extremely concerned when they learned that ANP relied on the 1929 law for the Schoodic transfer because it could potentially set precedent for the NPS to use it again. Residents contacted the Maine Congressional delegation to express their concern and request for a repeal of the 1929 law, while at the same time keeping the Schoodic land transfer.

In July 2016, Senator King introduced a bill in the Senate to resolve the issue.

In August 2016, Congressman Poliquin hosted a roundtable in Ellsworth with local clammers and wormers to learn about the challenges their industry is facing and to commit to protecting traditional access to Maine’s waters and woods, including the harvesting of marine resources. In September, Congressman Poliquin introduced a bill to provide a comprehensive and long-term solution to resolve the boundary disputes and to protect the traditional uses of the land.

Earlier this month, during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the President’s nominee for Secretary of the Interior, Representative Ryan Zinke, also assured Senator King that, if confirmed, he would work with the Maine Congressional delegation to resolve these issues. In addition, Congressman Poliquin has had numerous conversations with his colleague, Representative Zinke, on the matter.

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