Bipartisan legislation to resolve territorial and jurisdictional issues in and around Acadia National Park has advanced on Capitol Hill.

The House version of the bill, co-sponsored by Republican Bruce Poliquin and Democrat Chellie Pingree, was unanimously endorsed by the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday and moved forward for an eventual floor vote.

The bill, which had been stalled for months, would make legal the park’s acquisition of the 1,441-acre Schoodic Woods parcel. The coastal woodland, with a campground and bike trails, was anonymously donated in 2015 but acquired by the park without respect to a boundary established by Congress in 1986 for future park expansions, the result of negotiations between the park and local residents.

The bill also would direct the park to permit “traditional” harvesting by clammers, wormers and periwinkle gatherers within the park in accordance with state law and local ordinances. The language appears to exclude seaweed harvesting, aquaculture pens and other uses that have not happened in the area to date. Under Maine law, a coastal property owner owns the intertidal zone, but marine harvesting can be done there.

“I’m extremely pleased this bipartisan and bicameral legislation is moving forward in Congress with broad support, and I will continue to push in the House to get it across the finish line,” said Poliquin, who represents Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, where the park is located, in a written statement.

Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, introduced an identical bill in the Senate.

Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, amended the House bill to remove a provision that would have directed the park to give $350,000 to a consortium of Mount Desert Island town governments to subsidize trash disposal – a move that park proponents had said would cripple the park’s next budget.

Bishop argued the provision would constitute an “earmark” under House rules, but Poliquin said in a press release that he intends to find an administrative solution to secure the funds.


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