BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 8, 2020
Each summer more than 36 million visitors come to see Maine’s most popular attractions, including Acadia National Park, one of America’s most iconic national treasures. For the most part, these parks are well maintained, but years of inconsistent federal funding have resulted in potholed roads, deteriorating historic buildings, eroded trails and more. Earlier this year, a bipartisan bill was introduced called the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422), which will address the $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks, as well as fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The bill will enable national parks to make many of the necessary infrastructure improvements that have been put off for too many years. S. 3422 has the support of U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King. Both have been tireless advocates for national parks. ~ Rep. Tom Skolfield of Weld worked in Maine parks and conservation agencies for 45 years