Michaud Bill to Help Acadia National Park to Pass House Tonight
Monday, April 28 2008

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Mike Michaud's bill, the Acadia National Park Improvement Act, is expected to pass as a part of S. 2739, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 later tonight.  Michaud's bill originally passed the House in February as a stand-alone bill.  The Senate took that bill and combined it with other natural resources bills and passed them as a group.  Passage of S. 2739 will clear the measure for the president to sign it into law.  Passage of the Acadia National Park Improvement Act would make important changes and updates to the statute controlling the operation of Acadia National Park.

"This bill is important for the future success of Acadia National Park, and the Acadia region," said Michaud.  "The regional economy benefits greatly from the park's continued success and it is important to Maine that we ensure it has the tools necessary to thrive."

A study by Michigan State University indicated that Acadia National Park brings almost $130 million in visitor spending to the region and supports over 2,600 jobs.   The Acadia National Park Improvement Act reauthorizes a number of elements in the 1986 bill that established Acadia National Park's permanent boundaries.  These include:

  • the exchange of federally owned land outside the boundaries of the park for land inside the park currently owned by surrounding towns,
    increasing the "ceiling" for land acquisition from the original $9 million to $28 million, allowing the National Park Service to purchase from willing-sellers privately held land within the Park's boundaries, and
    the extension of the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission for another 20 years. This commission, composed of representatives of the Department of Interior, the Governor of Maine, and surrounding towns, advises the National Park Service regarding the Park.

The bill also allows for the participation of the Department of the Interior in the construction and operation of an Intermodal Transportation Center that will serve as both a welcome center and as a hub for Acadia National Park's Island Explorer bus system.