A view of Great Meadow from Dorr Mountain/NPS file

Acadia National Park in Maine has been given the go-ahead to move forward with restoration work on Great Meadow, a 116-acre wetland impacted by culverts, abandoned railbeds, and invasive species.

Great Meadow, the largest freshwater wetland complex in the park, is one of the most-visited sites in the park. However, historic uses of the area and current uses impact its functioning, the National Park Service noted last spring in an environmental assessment that examined the problems and proposed solutions. Under the approved plan, the Park Service will:

• Replace the Park Loop Road culvert at the outflow of the Great Meadow with a larger crossing that has a more natural stream design;
• Rehabilitate the Great Meadow Loop community connector trails by developing missing segments to meet accessibility standards, rerouting them to connect with the Great Meadow vista, improving wayfinding, and adding educational waysides;
• Implement targeted restoration projects to return natural function to the 116-acre wetland;
• Restore the Cromwell Brook stream channel and constructing a grade control weir at the transition from the Great Meadow to the stream channel to mitigate high flow flood events; and
• Expand invasive plant management and restoration with native plantings.

Made possible by an investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, partner funds contributed by Friends of Acadia’s Wild Acadia initiative, and scientific research from Schoodic Institute, the Great Meadow restoration project highlights the power of partnership, a park release said. The park is also working closely with the Wabanaki Nations, who have collaborated on wetland restoration work throughout the park.

Acadia National Park is working to finalize construction plans and hopes to move forward with the next phases of the project as soon as possible. You can find the environmental assessment as well as NPS responses to comments on the EA at this site.