Читать книгу Hike the Parks: Acadia National Park - Jeff Romano - Страница 31

•Established 1916 as Sieur de Monts National Monument; 1919 as Lafayette National Park; 1929 as Acadia National Park

•Average annual visitation: Approximately 3.5 million

•Acreage: More than 50,000 acres (20,200 hectares), which includes nearly 38,000 acres (15,370 hectares) of public land and 12,000 acres (4900 hectares) of conservation easements

•Sections: Mount Desert Island, Schoodic, and Isle au Haut

•Campgrounds: Blackwoods, Seawall, Schoodic Woods, and Duck Harbor

•Total hiking trails: 158 miles (254 km)

•Historic carriage roads: 45 miles (72 km)

•High point: 1530 feet (466 m; Cadillac Mountain)

•Low point: Sea level (multiple locations)

Acadia Forms and Grows. In the late 1920s, John Moore of Steuben left his property on the Schoodic Peninsula to his daughters in England. They wanted to donate their family land to the park, but as British citizens they had reservations about honoring Lafayette. In 1929, Congress accepted the Schoodic land donation and changed the park’s name to Acadia, a term that more accurately captured the region’s history. Acadia has continued to slowly grow larger over the years. In 1943, a generous landowner donated roughly half of Isle au Haut to the park. Throughout much of the twentieth century new parcels were added to the Mount Desert Island section as the park expanded west from Bar Harbor to include lands on both sides of Somes Sound.

Boundary Finalized. The present park boundary is largely the result of legislation passed by Congress in 1986. Within the boundary today, private lands exist. These are the only properties Acadia can add to the park without further congressional authority. Thanks to financial support from the Land and Water Conservation Fund established by Congress in 1964 and from private philanthropy, Acadia has purchased many private inholdings within its boundary in recent decades. This effort continues today.

Conservation Easements. On the periphery of the 1986 boundary, the park is also authorized to hold conservation easements on private lands. These voluntary agreements enhance the park by permanently protecting scenic values and natural resources. Acadia holds easements on more than 12,000 acres (4900 hectares) in the region.

Schoodic Expands. In 2019, Congress expanded the 1986 border when it accepted the donation of 1440 acres (600 hectares) on the Schoodic Peninsula. With this donation, the park grew to more than 50,000 acres (20,200 hectares) of land across the Mount Desert Island archipelago from Isle au Haut to the Schoodic Peninsula.