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Saving Acadia Mountain
Erin Hitchcock
As development pressures continue to
rise on Mount Desert Island, residents
find solace in the fact that
many of their favorite places on the island
are protected within the boundaries of Acadia
National Park and will remain protected for
generations to come.
A view of the north slope of Acadia Mountain from Somes Sound. This fall, Friends of Acadia purchased
25 acres on the mountain, protecting it from the threat of development.
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Many thought Acadia Mountain, the
landmark standing 681-feet tall over
Somes Sound, was one of those sacred
places. And so, it came as a surprise to the
most avid hikers and the oldest residents
when an application was submitted to the
Town of Mount Desert's planning board
this past July to subdivide and develop
19.6 acres on Acadia Mountain, abutting
the boundary of Acadia National Park. As
turns out, the property on the north
slope that many assumed was part of the
park was not protected. Instead, it fell
under the town of Mount Desert's rural
woodland and shore land residential
zones, making it viable for development.
Despite years of efforts by local conservation
organizations to preserve the land
on Acadia Mountain, the owner of the
property had signed a purchase and sale
agreement with a developer who had plans
for building up to nine homes on the
acreage. The developer and landowner had
already roughed in drives and placed septic
systems on the property. Residents of
Mount Desert were alarmed and voiced
concerns about building on the very steep
slopes of a beloved local landmark. Afte
review, the planning board found the contentious
application to be incomplete and
cited a variety of concerns.
Eventually the application for development
was temporarily withdrawn and the
landowner contacted Friends of Acadia to
ask if the organization would be interested
purchasing the property. Recognizing the
unique opportunity to protect this important
parcel of land, Friends moved into
action, working swiftly to raise funds and
build partnerships to acquire the property.
Together Friends of Acadia President
Marla O'Byrne, Chairman Lili Pew, and Past
Chairman Dianna Emory met with donors
and concerned residents. In a matter of
weeks, they had raised $1.75 million to
protect the 25 acres on the north slope of
Acadia Mountain, including the 19.6 acres
for which development was planned.
Friends of Acadia's purchase on September
26 was the culmination of several years of
work by Acadia National Park, Maine Coast
Heritage Trust (MCHT), and Mount Desert's
planning board and concerned residents to
conserve the parcel of land.
The generosity of the donors and their
willingness to act quickly is a testament to
the importance of Acadia Mountain to the
park, to the community, and to the character
of Mount Desert Island and Somes
Sound.
President O'Byrne described the acquisition
process as "conservation in the real
world." The land had already sustained
some development, but most of those
impacts will recover over time. Of additional
concern, a three-acre parcel farther down
the north slope, on the shore of Somes
Sound, had already been sold to a
landowner with plans to build a shorefront
home. Friends of Acadia has been working
with MCHT to negotiate conservation on
that property to complete conservation of
Acadia Mountain south of Robinson Lane.
The activity on Acadia Mountain raised
awareness of new abilities to build on steep
slopes on Mount Desert Island. Mount
Desert's planning board explored the possibility
of a moratorium on construction on
steep slopes in the town to give them time
to develop ordinances addressing these
concerns. Instead, the planning board has
asked to hire a land use consultant to help
evaluate the need for ordinances protecting
the most important features of the town,
and to help in drafting such ordinances.
Friends of Acadia and its partners encourage
towns to take a proactive approach on
guiding the appropriate development and
protection of their natural resources.
This year, however, development was
averted. Despite a short window of opportunity,
Friends of Acadia, with partners and
donors, achieved a success that many feared
was out of reach. Twenty-five acres on the
north slope of Acadia Mountain are now
protected from development forever.
Erin Hitchcock is the communications
coordinator at Friends of Acadia.
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