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Log inMaine's parks anticipate busy season
Maine's parks anticipate busy season
by Outspoken on Fri May 23, 2008 5:35 am
Maine's parks anticipate busy season
By Kevin Miller
Staff Writer Bangor Daily News
Crews in Maine’s state parks are gearing up for what is expected to be a busy summer season as more and more families choose to vacation closer to home due to soaring gas prices.
Acadia National Park officials, meanwhile, are also preparing for a brisk Memorial Day weekend. Whether rising fuel costs will help or hurt Acadia, however, is a big topic of conversation at the popular vacation destination for New Englanders.
"People are speculating on the issue and what does this mean for us," said Jim Vekasi, chief of maintenance at the national park. "It will be interesting to see."
The true tourist season for Maine’s parks and historic sites doesn’t begin until schools adjourn for the summer, which will likely be later than normal this year due to the large number of snow days.
But visitor numbers at state facilities are already up, as are reservations at state park campsites.
Day-use of the parks is up 20 percent in part because of the longer cross-country skiing and snowshoeing season. But the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands has also accepted 500 more reservations at the state’s 12 organized campgrounds than this time last year.
Patrick McGowan, commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation, said he expects those trends to continue as gas prices climb skyward.
"I think we are going to have a great year," McGowan said. "I think more people are going to be traveling in Maine … We are very lucky that we have 47 state parks and historic sites that are a short drive from most of the population centers in the state."
In addition to the usual summer preparations, staff are also getting ready to put to use $7.5 million in voter-approved bonds for park improvements. Some parks will get new restroom facilities later this year, while others will receive critical maintenance or upgrades to infrastructure.
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=164716&zoneid=500
(Photos by Bangor Daily News/John Clarke Russ)
By Kevin Miller
Staff Writer Bangor Daily News
Crews in Maine’s state parks are gearing up for what is expected to be a busy summer season as more and more families choose to vacation closer to home due to soaring gas prices.
Acadia National Park officials, meanwhile, are also preparing for a brisk Memorial Day weekend. Whether rising fuel costs will help or hurt Acadia, however, is a big topic of conversation at the popular vacation destination for New Englanders.
"People are speculating on the issue and what does this mean for us," said Jim Vekasi, chief of maintenance at the national park. "It will be interesting to see."
The true tourist season for Maine’s parks and historic sites doesn’t begin until schools adjourn for the summer, which will likely be later than normal this year due to the large number of snow days.
But visitor numbers at state facilities are already up, as are reservations at state park campsites.
Day-use of the parks is up 20 percent in part because of the longer cross-country skiing and snowshoeing season. But the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands has also accepted 500 more reservations at the state’s 12 organized campgrounds than this time last year.
Patrick McGowan, commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation, said he expects those trends to continue as gas prices climb skyward.
"I think we are going to have a great year," McGowan said. "I think more people are going to be traveling in Maine … We are very lucky that we have 47 state parks and historic sites that are a short drive from most of the population centers in the state."
In addition to the usual summer preparations, staff are also getting ready to put to use $7.5 million in voter-approved bonds for park improvements. Some parks will get new restroom facilities later this year, while others will receive critical maintenance or upgrades to infrastructure.
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=164716&zoneid=500
(Photos by Bangor Daily News/John Clarke Russ)
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'."
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)
