 April 2025
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Above: Andy Cutko (holding helmet) with part of BPL’s intrepid Off-Road Vehicle team: Matt Foster, Joe Higgins, Katie May, Candice Pinkham, Vanessa Haas, and Ben Reynolds. Below: Candice and Vanessa at the Wassookeag Snowmobile Club house in Dexter.
The winter of 2025 took a while to get here, but for those waiting for prime conditions to ski, snowshoe, ice fish, or snowmobile, February finally fulfilled our needs for outdoor fun. Thanks to our adventurous crew in BPL’s Off-Road Vehicle program, several of us took advantage of a lovely mid-week opportunity to explore the Four Seasons multi-use trail from Newport to Dover-Foxcroft. We found the trails freshly groomed, smooth, and easy to access. According to University of Maine studies, snowmobiling is big business in Maine, contributing $600 million to Maine’s economy. Small towns from Rangeley to Fort Kent lean on winter recreation to fill hotels and restaurants, and as snow dwindles in the rest of New England, northern Maine becomes a prime destination.
We’re very thankful for the work of snowmobile clubs across the state for their countless volunteer hours of trail grooming and maintenance, for the landowners who generously make their lands available to the public, and for the Maine Snowmobile Association's advocacy for this vital winter activity. As winter storms took their toll on recreational trails a year ago, we all look forward to rolling out Trails Bond funds later this year to help with restoration and improvement work.
~ Andy Cutko, Director, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
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Haley Johnson, the 2025 Allagash Wilderness Waterway Artist in Residence, painting in plein air.
I am pleased to announce that Haley Johnson has been selected as the 2025 Allagash Wilderness Waterway Artist in Residence. The judges selected Haley's artwork from a strong group of candidates from seven states.
Haley is particularly interested in capturing fleeting moments and fragments of time she wants to relive and preserve in her work. Her paintings often depict encounters with wildlife, with concern for the colors and textures that a camera will not capture. She works to replicate the experience of wildlife encounters: animals in motion, camouflaged with their surroundings, and the briefness of the experience as a whole. Haley takes much inspiration from time spent in remote locations, especially the woods of northern Maine, which she has always been drawn to and visits often from her Waltham, Massachusetts studio.
Windswept and Hungry. An oil painting by Haley Johnson.
Haley will spend two weeks this summer exploring the Allagash Wilderness Waterway from the historic Lock Dam cabin, studying the area's landscape and wildlife and documenting her experiences through a series of plein air oil paintings, sketches, and photographs that she will use as references to create final pieces after her stay. Within a year of her stay, she will offer a public program about the residency, highlighting her favorite moments and the artwork inspired by the residency.
View Haley's art at https://haleyajohnson.com/
~ Mark Deroche, Superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway
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Erin McGinty, Manager of Lamoine State Park
Ranger Erin McGinty has been promoted to Manager of Lamoine State Park! Just across the bay from Acadia National Park, Lamoine has a campground, picnic area, boat launch, and includes the management of Branch Lake State Park, offsite in Ellsworth.
Erin worked in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway before being promoted to lead Ranger at Two Lights State Park. She is highly organized, has a keen eye for detail, and has gone out of her way to learn administrative tasks balanced with maintenance and field operations. Erin completed all of Maine State Parks Ranger Academy – Compliance, Interpretation, Operations and Maintenance. I am at once proud and excited for Erin, yet will miss her initiative and excellent communication here at Two Lights, Kettle Cove, and Crescent Beach State Parks.
~ Kurt Shoener, Manager, Two Lights, Kettle Cove, and Crescent Beach State Parks
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The Maine Recreation and Parks Association board of directors put forth a ballot at their recent annual meeting to create a State Park seat on the board. The proposal passed and Bill Beeaker, Outdoor Recreation Specialist for the Bureau, was nominated, and he rose to the top of the nominees given his park management experience. The motion was seconded, and Bill was voted in without objection. His official term of service will begin in July, but he will be asked, as will all new board members, to join board meetings between now and July.
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Nicole Lazure, BPL's Outdoor Recreation Planner, will be joining the MRPA student engagement committee. Mat Henion, BPL's Outdoor Recreation Grant Specialist, Haylee Parsons, Manager of Reid State Park, and Matt Foster, Supervisor of the Off-Road Recreational Vehicle Program, are all serving on the Parks committee that was formed to help MRPA better serve the parks sector. It has national, state and municipal park representation on it.
Additionally, at the MRPA Conference, held in mid-March, BPL staff shared their expertise. Nicole Lazure and Bill Beeaker gave a presentation: Trail Planning, Design, and Management in a Changing Environment, and Jocelyn Hubbell, BPL's Interpretive Specialist, gave a presentation: Increase Visitor Enjoyment and Your Park's Relevance Through Engaging Interpretive programs. Mat Henion co-led a program with Catherine Dufault, LWCF Stewardship Specialist: Grant Funding for Trails, Playgrounds, Courts, Parks, & other Public Outdoor Recreation Facilities, and I led a session about the Maine Trails Program money available for trail projects across Maine.
~ Douglas S. Beck, Outdoor Recreation Program Manager
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Work in a beautiful location while making a lasting impact. You'll be helping visitors enjoy and learn about the outdoors, and stewarding iconic locations so that they will retain robust ecosystems and be healthy places to recreate for future generations.
Employment opportunities are at Maine State Parks and Historic Sites and include Rangers, Lifeguards, and Customer Representative Assistants. View the listings and apply now at BPL's Careers and Seasonal Job webpage. Resources include brochures, videos, and a link to the applications and job descriptions.
Need Experience? Consider applying with the Maine Conservation Corps.
Each year beginning on April 1, all pets (including dogs, and horses), bikes, and kite flying are not allowed on the State Park Beaches in order to protect federally endangered nesting shorebirds. Pets, bikes and kite flying will be welcomed back onto the beach October 1, 2024.
Thank you for helping us protect shorebirds and the dune habitat they rely on.
(Photo of Piping Plover adult and chick by Amanda Reed, courtesy of Maine Audubon.)
~ The Plovers with the help of Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist
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Hawk watchers on the top of Bradbury Mountain.
The Hawk Watch on Bradbury Mountain continues 7 days a week, 9 AM to 5 PM. Initiated in 2007 by Jeannette and Derek Lovitch, owners of Freeport Wild Bird Supply, it yields the second highest spring tally on the Eastern seaboard. The birds passing here make a decision to move inland, up the river valleys, or make a turn to the East. The Volunteer Hawk Counter that is hired each season not only collects data, but engages the public, educate, and share the joys of hawkwatching with all. Please join them and look for the daily counts on the bulletin board. You can also view the daily counts and previous season's data at Hawkcount.org
To get to to the top of Bradbury Mountain take either the quick but short and steep steep 0.3-mile summit trail, or the 1-mile wide and easy Northern Loop Trail. View the trail map.
~ Chris Silsbee, Manager, Bradbury Mountain State Park
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Pre-register to join in on a educational day of plant inventorying at Camden Hills State Park. Kerry Hardy, a local plant enthusiast, will lead a hike with park staff to document and take GPS coordinates of the park's unique plant species. Included in the inventory will be Brown Ash and other ash species, Spruce, old-growth Hemlock, Maidenhair Fern, Yellow Violets, Mayflowers (also called Trailing Arbutus - see photo) and spring ephemerals.
Limited to 30 people and free to registered participants. Pre-register by emailing [email protected] and please put "April 23 plant inventory RSVP" in the subject line.
Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM to Noon; may stay for afternoon session as well.
Lunch will be provided and followed by an afternoon session.
Location: Camden Hills State Park, 280 Belfast Road, Camden, ME 04843
Meet at the main parking lot at 9:00 AM.
Can't make April 23? A second inventory session is being planned for June 3 at 9:00 AM. Email Charlene with "June 3 plant inventory RSVP" in the subject line if you want to attend this session.
~ Charlene (Sunshine) Hood, Manager of Camden Hills State Park
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Red-tailed Hawk courtesy of Mark Bohn, USFWS.
Join us on May 17 at Bradbury Mountain State Park for the annual Feathers Over Freeport Birding Festival. Its a fun-filled day packed with educational activities, live bird presentations by the Chewonki Foundation, guest experts, and displays. This year it includes a Bird Call Contest where you can show off your best bird mimicry skills? All the details are at www.maine.gov/feathersoverfreeport
Thank you to our event sponsors: L.L. Bean, Maine Audubon, Maine Coastal Program, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
~ Chris Silsbee, Manager, Bradbury Mountain State Park
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Did you know … in 2024, Maine had 652 wildfires, which burned 297 acres. Over 95% of these fires were human-caused. In fact, roughly 37% resulted from open burning, including escaped or improperly extinguished debris burns and recreational campfires.
As spring wildfire season approaches, Maine Forest Rangers would like to highlight some of the tools and resources we use to prevent wildfires in our state.
One of these tools is the Online Burn Permit system at maineburnpermit.com, which helps people conduct open burning safely under the appropriate weather conditions.
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The Maine Open Burn Permit System. Click on image to go to the online system.
Through this system, landowners and other authorized users can obtain free burn permits for debris burning and large recreational campfires (fires which are larger than 3 feet in height and diameter). Permits are available each day starting at 9 am when the daily fire danger rating is low or moderate, unless fire officials in the organized towns have set additional restrictions.
The Maine Forest Service Wildfire Danger Report website at mainefireweather.org is another very important tool used to communicate the current risk of wildfire growth to the public.
The online Maine Wildfire Danger Report. Click on the image to see the current report.
The Maine Forest Service, in conjunction with federal partners including the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the US Forest Service, maintain a network of fire weather stations around Maine. These stations collect a variety of weather data, such as temperature, relative humidity and windspeed which are then used to calculate fire danger. The fire danger conditions, reported as low, moderate, high, very high, and extreme, help inform the public and provide guidance to Forest Rangers and local fire departments about the risk of wildfires.
This season, we would also like to bring attention to Red Flag Warnings which are issued by the National Weather Service, in conjunction with the Maine Forest Service, when a combination of warm temperature, very low relative humidity and strong winds are expected. These warnings are given for a specified length of time and geographic area. They inform the public and firefighters that conditions are ideal for wildland fires and their rapid spread.
Outdoor fires are not allowed until the Red Flag Warning is over. So, it is very important to check with the landowner if you are camping while there is a Red Flag Warning in effect.
Maine Forest Rangers remind everyone to keep any open burning activities safe by checking the daily wildfire danger rating, obtaining a free burn permit when required, and keeping all fires small and manageable. Never leave a fire unattended, and please be sure your fire is properly extinguished before leaving the area.
Thank you!
~ Terri Teller, Forest Fire Prevention Specialist, Maine Forest Service
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Riding on trails before they are open for the season can cause significant damage and can result in landowners permanently closing trails to all users. Do your part to maintain Maine's ATV trails and wait until they are open.
When will the trails open? Conditions around the state are varied and the decision to open trails is managed by the property owner and/or the club or organization who maintains the trail system. ATV trails in Maine typically do not open until May.
Please do your part and respect private landowners and ATV clubs by obeying all mud season closure postings.
Stay in the Know About Trail Conditions:
- Get condition reports from local ATV clubs and tread lightly.
- Sign up for ATV Trail Alerts - Text ATV to 888-514-7527.
Thank you!
~ Matthew Foster, ATV Program Supervisor
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With the ever-changing weather we've had this winter and the arrival of warmer weather, it makes it hard to predict the conditions you'll find on any outdoor adventure. And, it is more important than ever to plan ahead, be prepared, and make wise decisions when you are out on the trail. Below are resources that will help you be prepared and stay safe out there.
Peaks-Kenny State Park overlooking Sebec Lake.
Did you know that our Map & Guide series is available online? It is the best place to look for out most recent brochures. Recently updated Guide & Maps are:
View entire Guide & Maps series on our Publications and Maps page.
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist
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In collaboration with the Maine Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, and the Spruce Budworm Task Force, Keeping Maine's Forests is hosting a free hybrid informational session with presentations about Maine's building spruce budworm populations and the early intervention strategies being used to prevent an outbreak.
When: Thursday, May 1, 2025 1-4PM
- 1-3PM: Spruce Budworm Informational Session
- 3-4PM: Location-dependent activities may include a tour of the University of Maine Spruce Budworm Lab (Orono), viewing local defoliation (Fort Kent), tree ID (Orono & Fort Kent), and examining spruce budworm larvae under a microscope - more information to follow.
Where: 2 locations and online via Zoom
- Wells Conference Center, University of Maine Orono (131 Munson Rd, Orono), AND
- Nadeau Hall, University of Maine Fort Kent (23 University Drive, Fort Kent), AND
- Online via Zoom
There will be opportunities to ask questions directly with the experts. Maine’s forestry community is diverse and interconnected – whether you are an interested member of the public who lives, works, or recreates in the Maine woods, this event may be for you. All are welcome. Registration is required.
Register Now
For more information about Spruce Budworm in Maine visit the Maine Forest Service Spruce Budworm in Maine webpage.
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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