 June 2021
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At the end of an outdoor meeting with colleagues and a landowner last week, several of us reached out and shook hands. It was a small gesture once so instinctive that it took me a moment to realize how strange it actually was -- I’m not sure I had shaken hands with anyone in 15 months. The following day my wife and I attended my son’s college graduation, along with hundreds of others, in real-time and in-person (albeit physically distanced and outdoors). The weekend before that I hugged my parents for the first time in nearly a year.
As the little things that normalize life work their way back into our daily routines, it’s worth reflecting on how abnormal the last 15 months have been and how far we’ve come. In early 2020 as COVID swept across the country, we faced an anxious uncertainty that settled in for months, cycling through ups and downs triggered by the latest news on testing, outbreaks, quarantines, and vaccines. Staring down that uncertainty, our team showed remarkable resilience in the face of the unknown.
More than a year later, it’s still extraordinary how well our team has persevered, and in fact excelled, through a most memorable period in our nation’s history. I know I speak for Governor Mills, Commissioner Beal, and our entire DACF team when I express immense gratitude for the flexibility, innovation, and commitment that Bureau staff have shown to make the best of the truly monumental challenges imposed by the pandemic. I know we’re not out of the woods yet, but we are seasoned, capable, and poised to take on what will certainly be a busy summer season of 2021!
~ Andy Cutko, Director, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
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Mark Deroche, next Superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
Mark Deroche has been selected as the next Superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW). Mark has a lifelong passion for the AWW, exemplary management and outdoor skills, and commitment to working with Waterway partners to sustain and enhance this treasured Maine asset for years to come. Mark is also a Master Maine Guide with decades of experience leading adventures throughout the AWW. He has most recently served BPL as the Northern Region Manager for Maine State Parks, and he previously served as the Manager at Lily Bay State Park and as an Assistant Allagash Ranger based at Round Pond. He replaces Matt LaRoche, who recently retired after 44 years of exemplary service to the state. Mark's passion for and dedication to the Allagash is best reflected in his own words.
"We all have stories about an event that shaped us, that stirred our spirit, that inspired us, that gave us direction, and purpose. The first time I ever had that soul stirring experience was as a 13-year-old on an Allagash fishing trip, I was left awestruck. I was never quite the same after that outing and was always craving more adventures in the wilderness. I also acquired a passion to share with others the transformative powers that I had discovered in the waters and woods of the Allagash.
My wife Kim and I, and our two children, ventured up to the Waterway for some of our most memorable family vacations. I have also had the privilege of guiding hundreds of other people into the Allagash so they, too, could experience the majesty and restorative nature of this unique wilderness. Now, to be a steward of the Waterway, as the Superintendent, is truly a 13-year-old's dream come true.
My focus, in this first season as Superintendent, is to become reacquainted with the wonders of the Waterway. I plan on covering all of the classic 93-mile trip starting at Telos Dam and ending in Allagash Village; visiting all 82 campsite, every historically significant location, and every Ranger on the Waterway team…as often as possible. While I have spent a great deal of time in this remarkable region, I still have much to learn and I look forward to getting to know everyone who serves and cares for this extraordinary national icon. Together, we will identify the best way to build on the solid foundation previously set by many others, who have so effectively stewarded this profoundly special place. As a team, we will set sensible and meaningful goals, consistent with the management plan’s vision and mission, of both protecting and enhancing the natural beauty of the Waterway.
I’m truly honored and humbled to have the opportunity to work alongside so many other fine curators of this Maine treasure, and I’m confident we will follow in the tradition of leaving a positive robust legacy for both present and future generations. Lastly, I want to thank the whole State Park’s team, especially the Northern Region staff, for the honor of serving alongside them the past two years. Together, we successfully navigated through some of the most significant challenges our State Parks have ever faced, and that success is entirely due to their unwavering passion and dedication—what an amazing group of professionals. I am sincerely thankful to the many people who have sent me encouraging words of support as I start this new Allagash adventure. With your optimism and kindness as a springboard, I am now ready to point my bow northward."
On behalf of all who know and love the Allagash, welcome back Mark!
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
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Maine State Parks, in partnership with Cape Cod National Seashore, will be collaborating to improve water safety and white shark awareness at Maine State Park's five most visited coastal beaches, whose combined annual attendance exceeds 600,000 visitors:
- Crescent Beach State Park,
- Ferry Beach State Park,
- Popham Beach State Park,
- Reid State Park, and
- Scarborough Beach State Park
The Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund (MOHF) awarded the full grant request of $12,778 to this initiative. The money will support increased safety by helping us:
- Advance lifeguard skills and knowledge,
- Purchase equipment for increased water safety at beaches where white sharks are present,
- Improve public information about white sharks and visitor safety for people recreating in waters where sharks may be present, and
- Develop emergency response and communication protocols
Gary Best, State Park Southern Regional Manager, is coordinating the project. Sean Vaillancourt, Manager of Popham Beach State Park, and Maine State Park's Coordinator of the Lifeguard Program & Lifeguard Academy, will be responsible for coordination and implementation of lifeguard training. Leslie Reynolds, Deputy Superintendent of Cape Cod National Sea Shore and part of a regional white shark working group, will be assisting in the development of best management practices for lifeguards working where white sharks are present, and for public information strategies and messaging.
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Maine Conservation Corps Trail Team of Deidrah Stanchfield and Lindsey May building a stone staircase during team leader training in Camden, Maiden Cliffs Trail. (Pre-COVID photo.)
The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is a funding assistance program of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The RTP provides funds to the States to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for motorized and nonmotorized recreation. Funding for the program flows from FHWA through Maine DOT to Maine DACF where the grant program is administered by the Bureau of Parks and Lands.
This spring the Department of Transportation increased the amount of RTP funding available for use by $462,000, a 50% increase over previous years’ levels. Through an agreement between DOT and DACF, DOT will dedicate 98% of annual apportionment, or $1.4 million to the RTP over each of the next two fiscal years. Thanks to DOT Commissioner Van Note and DACF Commissioner Beal for developing this agreement!
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In the context of the dramatic use of trails and the enjoyment of outdoor recreation during the pandemic, this increased level of funding could not have come at a better time. Every year the Bureau of Parks and Lands receives more applications for funding than there is funding available to award. We look forward to having nearly full funding to help address the substantial and ongoing need for trail work across the state.
Applications for the next RTP grant round are due September 24, 2021 for project start dates in the spring of 2022. For more information please contact Doug.Beck@Maine.gov in the Grants and Community Recreation program within BPL.
Photos of RTP projects, top to bottom: MCC Trail Crew building stone staircase, ITS signage installation as part of Portage Lakers RTP project, boardwalk on Roberts Farm Trail of the Western Foothills Land Trust.
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It Just Got Easier!
NEW for 2021, customers may now change their own reservations by using the online system, 24/7! Please feel free to book, cancel, and NOW make changes to your current reservation. Here's how:
- Go to www.CampWithME.com
- Click on the service button of your choice, and
- Follow the easy instructions
Of course, the customer-friendly Call Center Representatives are available by phone during “Business Hours” to assist you!
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Maine is home to the largest population of black bears (Ursus americanus) in the eastern United States. Black bears in Maine are most active between April 1 and November 1. While it is great to spot bears in the wild at a safe distance, you should never approach a bear, and should quietly back away and leave the area. Below are tips to avoid bear conflicts while hiking and camping.
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Tips for Avoiding Bears
- While Hiking
- Stay aware of your surroundings,
- Keep group together - kids in sight, dog on leash - and
- Make noise in thick cover
- While Camping
- Store food, trash, lotion, toothpaste, and deodorant in:
- vehicle with windows rolled up
- a bear-proof container, or
- suspended in a tree 100 yards from sleeping area
- Cook food away from your tent and where feasible, cook 100 yards from your tent
- Clean cooking area thoroughly
- Don't sleep in clothes you cooked in
Additional Tips for Avoiding Black Bears, plus downloadable educational materials from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Read about bear habitat, their food habits, reproduction, and other natural history at the black bear page by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Orchard at Hebron Public Land.
Orchards on Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) parcels are a unique resource important for a variety of wildlife including many invertebrates, birds, and mammals. In 2017, one such orchard, a 9-acre area on Hebron Public Land, was the site of an orchard reclamation project. The goal was to free the old apple trees from several invasive species such as Asiatic bittersweet, Norway maple and multiflora rose as their survival was being threatened. The project involved:
- Removing the invasive plants within the orchard,
- Re-seeding the site with a grass mix, and
- Planting new heritage apple trees to replace those that had died over the years.
It’s not unusual for a site so overrun with invasive plants to require subsequent follow-up maintenance to remove those which have re-sprouted after the initial work was done, or to treat newly established plants. With so many invasive plants on the surrounding property, the goal for the Hebron orchard is to keep the area within the orchard boundaries free of invasive plants that would compete with the apples. So, on a recent sunny day, staff returned to the circa 1910 established orchard in Hebron to begin the next phase of management of this special resource.
Part of our work involved:
- Assessing the apples trees planted in 2018,
- Removing as much grass from their bases as we could, and
- Adding mulch to minimize competition from grass and pests.
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We found some of the young trees to be in fantastic condition, while a few had succumbed to a variety of other issues. On the larger 100 year-old established trees, we pruned dead limbs from the trees to improve air flow and reduce overall tree mass which will help with the longevity of the trees and aid fruit production. Throughout the orchard, we used a foliar, backpack application of a selective herbicide directly on the leaves of multiflora rose, Asiatic bittersweet and Norway maple to control the many new stems of these invasive plants which had sprouted throughout the orchard area.
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There’s still work to be done to remove additional dead limbs from the old apple trees, re-train some of the young damaged apple trees to grow into tree-form, and eventually add dormant-season pruning of live limbs on established trees. We expect to continue to monitor and control invasive species in the orchard and maintain the apple trees for years to come.
If you are interested in managing your apple trees for wildlife or other reasons:
- Watch for workshops at your local Soil & Water Conservation District such as this one held last March,
- Consult U-Maine Cooperative Extension bulletins, such as these:
- Hebron Public Lands were established in 1966 on the site of the former Western Maine Sanatorium, a treatment facility for tuberculosis patients from 1904-1959.
Thank you to Bureau of Parks and Lands staff, Joe Anderson and Kristen Fike, for lending a hand on the orchard maintenance day!
~ Sarah Spencer, Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist, and
Stephen Richardson, Senior Forest Engineer, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
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View across Echo Lake at Aroostook State Park.
All Maine residents receive free day-use admission to Maine State Parks and Historic Sites* from 9:00 a.m. to closing on Maine Resident Day, June 20, 2021.
To find a park or historic site use the online:
*Please Note:
- No rain date available; day-use only.
- Free admission does not apply to: Acadia National Park, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Baxter State Park, Peacock Beach, the Maine Wildlife Park, Scarborough Beach State Park, Swan Island, the Penobscot River Corridor, or the Penobscot Narrows Observatory in Prospect, though admission to Fort Knox Historic Site will be free that day.
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Beach walkers and sunbathers at Crescent Beach State Park.
Now you can Text DACF TKC to 468311 to receive beach and park condition updates for Two Lights, Kettle Cove and Crescent Beach State Park.
The associated new webpage includes additional resources:
- Current local weather
- Current local tide
- Webcam near the area so you can view the weather and water conditions
- Link to sign up for all available Department and Bureau Alerts and News
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Coastal Trails of Maine
by Delores Kong and Dan Ring
Get out and explore Maine's 3,478 miles of coastline this summer with this great new guide by Dolores Kong and Dan Ring. This award-winning exploring and writing team have packed the guide with the best of Maine's iconic seaside trails, providing descriptions for 41 easy-to-follow trails. Bonus material includes coastal attractions, and places to eat, sleep and camp. They have captured their journeys through terrific photos, maps, nature observations, and their conversations with park rangers and managers. It is packed with lots of useful tips for visitors. They even let you in on their top 5 hikes! Pick up this easy to use guide and you'll be on your way to having a great summer!
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
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We’ve teamed up with Baxter Brewing Company on a special summer ale– Colonial Pemaquid Honey Blonde. Baxter Brewing is donating a percentage of sales to Maine State Parks. Please look for Colonial Pemaquid at your favorite beer seller. And please enjoy Maine State Parks and Colonial Pemaquid Honey Blonde Ale responsibly! Thank you to Jenn Lever and her team at Baxter Brewing Company for this generous partnership.
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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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