Acadia, other national parks in line for overdue maintenance

BAR HARBOR, Maine – A bipartisan proposal that would help address maintenance backlogs at national parks including Acadia National Park has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The proposal, championed by lawmakers including Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, would allocate $9.5 billion to address the needed maintenance. Golden said public lands “have taken on new importance for families in Maine” during the pandemic, and it’s time to address the backlog.

Acadia’s overdue maintenance stretches back years. The National Park Service said the park had almost $66 million in deferred maintenance in 2018. The nationwide backlogged maintenance was almost $12 billion that year, Golden said.

The Senate passed the maintenance proposal last month.