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Superintendent's View: Private Efforts Become Public Benefit
At the turn of the last century Charles
Eliot, president emeritus of Harvard
University and Northeast Harbor resident,
was concerned that Mount Desert
Island could be deforested by the arrival of
the newly invented mobile saw mill. With
George B. Dorr, another summer resident,
they established the Hancock County
Trustees of Public Reservations "to acquire,
by gift or purchase, and to hold, maintain, or
improve for public use, lands... which by reason
of scenic beauty, historical interest... may
become available for such purpose." And so
the private effort to protect land on the Island
began. The first major donation, of the Bowl
and Beehive, was received in 1908. Dorr then
purchased the summit of Green Mountain
(now Cadillac) and Sieur de Monts Spring
just before it was sold to developers. It was
not until 1916 that Dorr succeeded in having
President Wilson establish by Executive
Order the Sieur de Monts National
Monument in return for donating the 6,000
acres that had been acquired to the American
people. Dorr became the first superintendent
but was essentially the first park volunteer
since he was paid just one dollar a month.
Like Dorr, John D. Rockefeller Jr. recognized
that preserving land was the key to any
great park and he too worked tirelessly to
protect and enhance land resulting in the
unique park that Acadia is today. He was
responsible for designing and building the
carriage road system and developing the Park
Loop Road which required convincing the
Navy to move its radio station from Otter
Cliffs to the Schoodic Peninsula. Before his
work was done, Rockefeller had acquired and
donated another 10,000 acres of land to
Acadia National Park and the American people.
These spectacular lands included Otter
Cliffs and Thunder Hole.
Today, Acadia is made up of over 35,000
acres of land owned by the United States in
fee - more than 80% of that land was donated
by forward thinking and generous people
who believed that the special values of
Acadia National Park were worthy of permanent
protection. In addition, land owners
have donated conservation easements on
180 properties in and around the park preserving another 12,000 acres of spectacular
scenery in the Acadian archipelago. These
donated easements are another testament to
the commitment of many individuals who
believe that saving the special qualities of
Acadia is an important legacy to future generations.
In addition to George Dorr, early volunteers
included the Village Improvement
Associations and Societies which built and
maintained many of the early trails on MDI,
contributing labor and materials for the good
of all. This volunteer tradition continues -
last year, nearly 12,000 volunteers donated
over 39,000 hours of labor to provide a margin
of excellence to Acadia and its visitors.
People who value Acadia and appreciate
its special qualities contribute in many ways.
They fund land acquisitions to complete the
park, grant easements, donate land, underwrite
special projects, and volunteer their
time to park maintenance, education, and visitor
services.
Friends of Acadia is one of the most effective
friends groups in the country and it is
the only one to have established permanent
endowments for trail and carriage road maintenance.
The park would have far fewer seasonal
employees without FOA's funding assistance
and far fewer volunteers without FOA's
organizational and supervisory help.
Private philanthropy and the dedication of
individuals are the reasons that Acadia
became the first national park east of the
Mississippi - and the first to be carved from
private lands. Private philanthropy and volunteers
are key reasons that Acadia remains
special and continues to improve for all
Americans to enjoy now and in the future.
The phrase taken from Dorr's memorial
"steadfast in his zeal to make the beauties of
this island available to all" applies to many
others who have dedicated their time and
resources to maintaining Acadia National
Park as the very special place it is. We all
appreciate these selfless efforts that indeed
benefit many.
- Sheridan Steele, Superintendent
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