 January 2024
Governor Mills and friends celebrate the conservation the Perham Stream and Quill Hill properties.
As we put December’s short days and long nights in the rearview mirror, we also bid farewell to 2023. Although the summer’s monsoon put a damper on outdoor activities, our BPL staff were busier than ever in 2023, with numerous notable accomplishments:
- In May, working with The Trust for Public Land and The Nature Conservancy, we conserved 13,640 acres of forests, streams, and mountaintops in Maine’s High Peaks region – the largest state conservation deal yet under the Mills administration! The Bureau continues to work with local groups, including the High Peaks Alliance, Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust, and Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, to secure additional public access in the area.
- Our State Parks are finally receiving overdue capital investments, thanks to the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan and other funding. We have replaced a key bridge at Reid State Park, re-paved roads and parking lots at Rangeley Lakes, Camden Hills, Sebago, Peaks-Kenney, and Range Pond State Parks, and restored the boat launch facility at Colonial Pemaquid State Park. Dozens of additional projects are scheduled to be completed by the December 2026 funding deadline.
- We sustainably managed forests on our Public Lands, harvesting nearly 103,000 cords of wood in FY’23. Forest management on Public Lands provides fiber and jobs for Maine’s forest products sector and generates critical funds for recreation, wildlife, and stewardship projects.
- We continued to work on our most heavily traveled hiking trails with Maine Conservation Corps crews at Tumbledown Mountain and Camden Hills State Park. Work will continue at those locations and the Cutler Coast in 2023.
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Volunteers have helped prepare the Madison Branch rail trail for public use.
- After a year of removing steel, improving bridges, and grooming the surface, we’re close to opening the 32-mile Madison Branch Rail Trail for public use.
- We endured some very wacky weather, which affected everything from campground reservations to recreational trails to forest operations! It was one of the rainiest seasons on record, and we’ve had multiple intense windstorms in the last year. Still, our parks hosted nearly 3 million visitors, ranking in the top five all-time years.
We look forward to another challenging, rewarding, ambitious, and successful year in 2024!
~ Andy Cutko, Director, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
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Book your summer solace! Camping reservations begin in February. Check out the State Park Campgrounds on the campground maps page where you can print campground maps and view campsites on Google Earth.
Please note the two reservation start dates: 2/1 and 2/6, and the separate reservation process for the Group Camping and Picnic Shelter reservations that also begin on 2/1. Minimum and maximum stay reminders are listed at the bottom of this article.
On Thursday, February 1 at 9:00 a.m. EST*:
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Campground Reservations Opens for:
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Lily Bay State Park and Sebago Lake State Park on Thursday, February 1 at 9:00 a.m. EST*
- Sebago Lake State Park requires a minimum 4-night stay if you make your reservation during February for the camping season.
- Online Reservations and reservation information is at www.CampWithME.com
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*Storm Date if Maine State Government is closed - Friday, February 2, 2024.
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Group Camping and Picnic Shelter Reservations also begin
on February 1 at 9:00 EST*
- Call the park directly; online reservations are not available.
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*Storm Date if Maine State Government is closed - Friday, February 2, 2024.
On Tuesday, February 6 at 9:00 a.m. EST**
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All Maine State Park Campground Reservations Open - Tuesday, February 6 at 9:00 a.m. EST**
- Online Reservations and reservation information is at www.CampWithME.com
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**Storm Date if Maine State Government is closed - Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
Reminders about Number of Nights/Minimum and Maximum Stay:
Minimum Stay
- Sebago Lake State Park requires a minimum 4-night stay if you make your reservation during February for the camping season.
- Weekend Minimum Requirement Friday & Saturday 2 night stay
- When booking a reservation on or after July 1, a 1-night minimum stay is available, including weekends, at all parks.
Maximum Stay
- 14 nights per person, per State Park from the last Saturday in June through the 3rd Saturday in August
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Participants enjoying a sunrise First Day Hike at Two Lights State Park with Jeanne Christie.
Maine State Park First Day Hikes, part of the nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors, are a combination of led and self-guided hikes, as well as virtual visits to help you kick off 2024.
Join in on the fun and start out your New Year within the beauty and solace of a Maine State Park. Program listings are provided below. You can also download materials for self-guided hikes and view the virtual visits at BPL's First Day Hike page.
Program Listings:
Happy New Year!
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One of two ski & snowshoe trailers that make the rounds at Maine State Parks during the winter months.
Click on the Ski & Snowshoe Trailer Schedule to download it as a PDF.
Celebrate the joys of winter by joining us at one or all of our Winter Family Fun Days - Take It Outside Events. All activities and equipment loans from the ski & snowshoe trailer are included in the special event park admission fee: 12 & older $1.50. Under 12 & over 65 free.
The festivities begin at Camden Hills State Park on Saturday, January 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Whether there is snow or not, there will be plenty of activities to enjoy. They include horse-drawn wagon rides, guided hikes, a Maine mammal and tracking display, a winter camping display, winter preparedness information, crafts, nature games, a warming hut and fire with hot cocoa while it lasts, snow sculpture making, and the Maine State Parks Ski & Snowshoe trailer will be loaning ski and snowshoe gear for on-site use. View the park's Guide & Map. Subscribe to the park's condition alerts: text CAMDEN to 888-514-7527.
View all the event dates at the Winter Family Fun - Take It Outside webpage.
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The Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) has fueled the imagination of native Americans, rusticators, artisans, and the general public for centuries. Many visitors have attempted to capture the Allagash headwater lakes and lower river's beauty and solitude through stories, drawings, photography, and music. When Henry David Thoreau made his journey to Pillsbury Island on Eagle Lake in the mid-1800s, he was inspired to write about his adventure in The Maine Woods.
To honor this history, the Bureau of Parks and Lands AWW is continuing its Visiting Artist Program. The Program's goal is to immerse a visual artist in the exceptional AWW wilderness to interpret and share their experience through their art.
The selected visual artist will receive:
- Rustic cabin lodging on the Waterway for two weeks during the month of August
- An orientation to the Waterway by AWW rangers
- Ranger safety check-ins and coordination of AWW transportation, the open studio, and public program(s)
- Opportunity to invite one guest to join them free of charge
- Media coverage before, during, and after their Allagash stay, through the Department’s press releases and social media posts, and the Bureau of Parks and Lands newsletter.
Online application opens on January 5 and closes on February 6, 2024. Read all the details, view previous AWW Visiting Artists' work, and apply online at the AWW Visiting Artist Program page.
~ Mark Deroche, Superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway
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Recycle your natural Christmas tree at Popham Beach State Park so it can be used in a dune restoration project at the park.
- Trees must be natural, not plastic, and be free of all decoration.
- Drop off begins on December 26 and lasts through January. Drop-off Hours are between 9:00 a.m. and sunset.
- Leave trees in the designated drop-off area next to the West Bath House.
Thank you!
~ Sean Vaillancourt, Popham Beach State Park Manager
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Snowmobiling is a fun and exciting family activity enjoyed by over 4 million people across the United States and Canada. The sport is a safe and enjoyable form of recreation if done properly and with respect.
International Snowmobile Safety Week is a good time to refresh your skills, learn from more experienced riders, and reach out to the snowmobile clubs where you ride.
Part of being safe is to be prepared. Here are some links so you'll Know Before You Go:
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Safe Snowmobiling Means...
- Snowmobiling and alcohol don’t mix - Don’t drink and ride.
- Smart Riders are Safe Riders – Take a snowmobile safety training course.
- When night riding slow down – Expect the unexpected.
- Know before you go – Always check local ice and trail conditions
- Cross with Care
- Know the risks and be prepared – Make every trip a round trip
- One is the loneliest number – Never ride alone.
- Ride safe, stay on the trail – Respect private property. Take the Pledge to Preserve Access.
Tips for Riding in Mountainous Terrain
- Be Avalanche Aware in the USA and in Canada
- Get the Gear: Ensure everyone has an avalanche transceiver, shovel, and probe on their person and knows how to use them
- Get the Training: Take an avalanche course
- Get the Forecast: Make a riding plan based on the current avalanche and weather forecast
- Get the Picture: If you see recent avalanche activity unstable snow exists. Riding on or underneath steep slopes can be dangerous
- Get out of Harm’s Way: One at a time on all avalanche slopes. Don’t go to help your stuck friend. Don’t group up in runout zones.
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Additional tips and an Avalanche Safety Video for snowmobilers.
Share your photos at the Maine Off Road Vehicles, Snowmobile & ATV Trail Programs' Facebook page.
Thank you and stay safe out there!
~ Joe Higgins, Snowmobile Program Recreational Safety and Vehicle Coordinator
(Photos top to bottom: B Pond Trail, Acadia with Winter Harbor View, Covered Bridge "Cow's Bridge")
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Children enjoying the view of a partial eclipse on 10/14/2023 from the top of Bradbury Mt. Photo by Chris Silsbee, Park Manager.
For about three minutes on Monday, April 8, 2024, the sun will be blotted out by our celestial neighbor, the moon. While this solar eclipse will be total in a band stretching diagonally across the state from the Rangeley Lakes Region to Caribou, other parts the state will experience a partial eclipse. View the path of the solar eclipse across the country and the timeline. Map of the path through Maine.
Before you start making big plans to travel into the eclipse zone, first consider safety and logistics. To begin with, be prepared to safely view the eclipse by protecting your eyes. Beyond that, please recognize that early April in the total eclipse band area is essentially still winter with frozen lakes and rivers, potentially deep snow, cold temperatures, and many unplowed roads and parking areas. Gravel roads that are clear may be very soft and muddy. In short, it is a challenging time of year to visit. For that reason and due to limited off-season staffing, Maine State Parks and Public Lands in the eclipse area are not ideal destinations for eclipse viewing. But remember, these amazing places are some of the best night sky viewing areas, so consider a camping trip when conditions are a bit more friendly!
For more information on the 2024 eclipse in Maine, check out Visit Maine’s solar eclipse information page.
~ Rex Turner, Outdoor Recreation Planner
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Examples of RTP granted projects. Top row, left to right: Orono trail bridge; Rome Rough Riders bridge. Bottom row, left to right: stone steps at AWW Tramway; Viles Arboretum boardwalk; Fort Georges trail and bridge.
Grants & Community Recreation Updates
Recreational Trails Program
With the announcement of our RTP Rapid Round there have been questions. Here are the answers:
- This March 15 RR deadline cycle does not replace the customary and usual grant cycle with applications due the last Friday of September. This is in addition to that grant cycle, and that grant cycle will still take place.
- 100% of the funding in both cycles will be available for local projects, with no funding reserved for state agency projects.
- Due to a limited period bump in available funding, we will entertain up to two requests for up to $120,000 per each of the Motorized, Non-Motorized and Diverse use funding categories.
- In the context of this short cycle March round, applicants who applied for funding in September, 2023, may withdraw their application to modify and reapply in March if you are inclined to pursue a higher funding level.
- All successful applicants in the September 2023 and March of 2024 applicants will receive project agreements in time for early summer construction in 2024, and will have two full construction seasons to complete the work.
Land and Water Conservation Fund
- Maximum grant request has been elevated to $1,000,000 per eligible applicant.
- All other rules apply.
- Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) information.
Happy Holidays and may your New Year be full of big projects!
~ Doug Beck, State Trail Administrator & Outdoor Recreation Supervisor
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Adrianna Bessenaire Joins the Bureau as Wildlife Technician
The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands is pleased to welcome Adri Bessenaire as the Wildlife Technician in the Bureau’s Wildlife Program, a cooperative program between BPL and Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. In this capacity, Adri will be conducting wildlife and habitat surveys, habitat assessments, providing technical assistance, and helping implement wildlife habitat objectives in BPL’s management.
Adri grew up in Connecticut, coming to Maine to attend Unity College, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology with a minor in Botany. She was previously employed by Wildlife Management Institute working with IFW on their meso-carnivore camera trapping and wood turtle projects. She has also worked with IFW on a deer survival project, operating tagging stations in support of moose management, and has worked on population monitoring of turkey, black bear, and snowshoe hare. Adri is no stranger to BPL, having held the seasonal wildlife assistant position from 2019-2022, conducting surveys and habitat assessments.
Adri enjoys sunrise paddles and hikes during the summer birding season as well as snowshoeing with her dog in the western mountains. She shows her appreciation for the changing seasons by tapping maples for syrup in the early spring and harvesting vegetables from her garden throughout the growing season. Adri also balances her busy summer fieldwork with tending her plant nursery and caring for a small flock of chickens. Adri is excited and grateful for this opportunity to continue exploring and protecting BPL’s wild landscapes on which Maine’s flora and fauna depend.
~ Sarah Spencer, Wildlife Biologist, CWB®, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
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Taylor Deely to Lead Maine Conservation Corps Field Team Program
Maine Conservation Corps (MCC) is pleased to announce Taylor Deely (she/they) will take the helm of the Field Team Program in January 2024. Taylor’s passion for the corps world was sparked during a year of service as an AmeriCorps NCCC member in 2010. Post-graduation, they journeyed back to the conservation corps world, serving with the MCC as a Team Member, followed by three years of successfully leading five Field Teams. Taylor’s exemplary leadership, organization, and forte for member development propelled her into the position of MCC’s Training Coordinator. The breadth of their knowledge was deepened as the Assistant Program Director for Training with AmeriCorps NCCC. For a decade Taylor has been rooted in the corps world, been a mentor to hundreds of members, an adviser to conservation partners, and dug into the major and minor details of operating a service program. Taylor’s proven skills, experience, drive, commitment, and perpetual optimism will lend to a successful transition as the Field Team Program Manager.
~ Sara Knowles, Director of the Maine Conservation Corps
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Harrison Drislane Joins the Bureau's Western Region Public Lands
Harrison grew up and attended high school just north of Boston in Massachusetts. He attended the University of Maine in Orono and obtained his bachelor’s degree in Forest Operations. While obtaining his degree, Harrison joined the Maine Army National Guard and is still currently serving as a construction engineer. Harrison additionally interned for Baskahegan Company, where he got his feet wet in all things silviculture and land management. He also has experience manufacturing and evaluating engineered wood products and assisted with research of emerging forest products at the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center. He is excited to bring all his past knowledge and experiences to the Bureau’s western region Public Lands.
Personal Interests: Downhill Skiing, ATVing and Hiking
Professional Interests: Forest Operations, Road Construction/Layout and Silviculture
~ Tim Post, Western Region Public Lands Manager
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It is with tremendous pride and a bit of sadness that I announce the departure of Liz Thibault. She will serve out the remainder of her contract through the end of this month with the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) in her capacity as Trail Planner. On January 2, she will begin her new adventure as Land Steward with Maine Audubon. In this capacity, she will focus on restoring and maintaining habitat and user experience at their eight sanctuaries through site monitoring, trail and signage improvement, invasive plant management, and restoration plantings. The role has been designed to support a growing Properties Department, expand Maine Audubon’s capacity to carry out sanctuary stewardship work, and engage the organization’s network of volunteers to accomplish stewardship goals.
I am proud that someone with such deep Maine Conservation Corps roots and a few RTP rootlets has been viewed by Maine Audubon as the most eligible candidate for their stewardship position. I am thrilled for Liz as she takes on this new role. I look forward to working with Liz in her new role as a member of the larger conservation community and reviewing some killer RTP applications from Maine Audubon in the near future!
I hope you will join me in wishing her much success and thanking her for all she has done for RTP and BPL this year, and in celebration of her accomplishments to come!
~ Doug Beck, Outdoor Recreation Supervisor
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Photo above: Park Ranger Erin McGinty. Phpto below: Park Manager Kurt Shoener.
Kudos go out to Ranger Erin McGinty and Park Manager Kurt Shoener whose excellence was recently highlighted in the following letter written by Dutch Walsh of Cape Elizabeth to the Department's Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners.
"After every visit to Crescent Beach, Kettle Cove, or Two Lights State Park, we have thought about contacting Ranger Kurt Shoener's "supervisor" to express our extreme pleasure with the professionalism and courtesy exhibited by Kurt, Ranger Erin McGinty and every Ranger working for the Bureau of Parks and Lands in Cape Elizabeth. (and we know them all by name)
As Plover Monitors, my wife and I are at Crescent Beach six days a week during the Piping Plover season from before April 1 until October. As Shorebird Ambassadors for Maine Audubon, we continue to monitor the beaches well into the winter. We also monitor the Plovers and Least Terns at Higgins Beach, and test the water through the Maine Healthy Beaches Program.
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In February, 2023, I contacted Kurt to introduce myself and to ask how we could start a plover volunteer monitoring program at Crescent Beach. Kurt responded immediately saying that he had a list of a few people who had expressed interest in helping with the plovers. Kurt shared the names he had and we were able to establish a volunteer group of 13 people for the 2023 season. Our volunteer group will continue and grow in 2024.
This developed into a fantastic relationship with all the Park Rangers from the entrance booth rangers to the seasonal rangers working the beach. The interest and concern for the endangered plovers shown by the rangers has turned into an educational experience for all visitors to the park. We never expected such a response. We are amazed at the professional, dedicated, polite, responsive and concerned individuals we have encountered who work under Kurt for the Bureau of Parks and Lands. What a great experience it has been for all of us who interact with the park rangers! Kurt has definitely set the tone for the rest of the rangers, and it is obvious that his expectations are high. The resources that these rangers oversee are in excellent hands and this shows in the condition of each of the parks.
Crescent Beach and the other parks in Cape Elizabeth are fortunate to have rangers like Kurt and Erin heading up the team for the Bureau in this area. As Commissioners, you should be proud to know that this service and oversight exists. As local residents, beachgoers and volunteers, we are impressed with the dedication of these rangers to maintain a one-mile long beach, park areas, and several trails in several different locations in Cape Elizabeth. All the while, they are pleasant to all visitors and provide a wealth of information. We are fortunate to have them.
We hope that funding levels can be maintained or increased to allow your department to continue to provide park rangers the support required. We observe the responsibilities that these rangers have and know that they are stretched throughout the year. If you ever need local volunteers to testify to the immense task involved in maintaining the parks and educating the public, we would be happy to offer our assistance."
Congratulations to Erin, Kurt and all the staff and volunteers at Crescent Beach, Two Lights, and Kettle Cove State Parks. And thank you to Dutch Walsh for acknowledging the people and the teamwork!
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist
(Photo of Piping plover adult and chick by Amanda Reed, courtesy of Maine Audubon.)
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North Maine Woods Inc. Industrial Road Safety Committee Chair Randy Lagasse presenting the 2023 Safe Trucker of the Year Award to Jeff Jandreau of Fort Kent, Jonathan Haley JD Irving forester on right.
North Maine Woods (NMW) is comprised of 3.5 million acres of commercial forestland and waterways - a place where people and nature meet, and men and women make their living. A handful of private and industrial owners make up the 3.5 million acres and are committed to keeping this landscape a working forest with safety in mind.
The NMW Industrial Road Safety Committee, made up of landowner representatives, has taken a proactive role by training and educating road users in keeping main haul roads safe for all users. The committee meets regularly to address safety issues and concerns. Back in 2022, the committee decided that a Safe Trucker of the Year Award should be given annually to a driver who shows excellence in practice.
Recognizing truckers who consider safety a top priority in their job of delivering products from the field to the mills sets a great example of what the committee represents. By nomination, the committee is proud to award Jeff Jandreau with the 2023 Safe Trucker of the Year Award. Along with this honor, Jeff is receiving a plaque as well as a monetary award donated by forest landowners and managers.
Jeff Jandreau of Fort Kent has made his living in the North Maine Woods as a trucker for 44 years with a penchant for everyone to come home safe. The committee hopes this award can show all road users that truckers are looking out for everyone’s safety whether it be a coworker or an outdoor recreationalist enjoying the great North Maine Woods.
On receiving the call about the award, Jeff exclaimed, "I am honored to have earned the respect of those who nominated me. I am of the age where there are many who are also so deserving of this! The first truck I drove was when I was right out of Fort Kent High School. It was an International Paystar 5000 off road. I was 17 years old. My current office is a 2020 Western Star for Northland Services owned by Shawn Lovely." And he said, "It’s a working forest [North Maine Woods] that we share with the public. We all work toward the same goal of arriving home to our families each night. What we do is not for the lighthearted. It’s keeping your eyes and head always focused on everything all around you, including securing your load, driving, and making sure the truck that you are operating is mechanically safe. As we make our way to the mills, we are calling out mile markers, stating our locations and listening to our radios to know where the recreational vehicles are located. Safety all around is the primary goal for the trucking industry in the NMW. "
Thank you and congratulations Jeff!
~ Courtesy posting for Randy Lagasse, Northern Maine District Forester, Maine Forest Service
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Areas regulated for Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Maine.
Current Quarantine Area: The quarantine area updated in November 2023 includes all of Androscoggin, Cumberland, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo and York Counties and parts of Aroostook, Franklin, Oxford Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset Counties. The quarantine boundaries were drawn to include a buffer on those towns where EAB had been detected. To slow the spread of the destructive emerald ash borer, we encourage everyone to adhere to the regulations and follow best management practices when handling ash within these regulated areas.
For additional information, please visit www.maine.gov/EAB
~ Courtesy posting for the Maine Forest Service
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Send article suggestions or newsletter comments to Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist, webmaster, and newsletter editor for the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.
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