Press Release

AUGUSTA, Maine – The Androscoggin Riverlands State Park Initiative has taken a major leap forward, moving into its public outreach phase with four key developments, according to Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands officials.

The first new state park in 25 years, the Androscoggin Riverlands Initiative moved forward last Wednesday night with the first meeting of its 15-member advisory committee, which will work closely with the bureau in the development of a master plan for the new park.

As one of its first actions, the advisory committee voted to hold the first public meeting on the master plan this month.

BPL officials also learned last week that the project has been approved for a Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund grant for a seasonal land steward for the Riverlands area. The steward, an Americorps-Maine Conservation Corps environmental educator, will act as an interpretive resource for the burgeoning park and work with bureau planners and consulting landscape architects.

In addition, a new website for the Androscoggin Riverlands Park has been developed and now is online through the BPL government website. The website will be used to announce advisory committee meetings and park events, provide maps and historic information and be a contact point for Androscoggin region and other residents.

“The development of a new state park is an exciting enterprise, because it means so much, not only to the people of the Androscoggin Valley, but to all Maine residents,” Commissioner Patrick McGowan of the Maine Department of Conservation said. “The Androscoggin Riverlands will have a significant, positive impact on recreation in the region. It also will be an important economic stimulus, creating new jobs and businesses that will revive and enhance the area.”

“I am thrilled to see the work on the park move forward,” State Rep. Peggy Rotundo, (D-Lewiston), one of the initial leaders of the project, said. “The Androscoggin Valley is a treasure that will now be preserved for future generations, and I am very pleased that this region of the state will see the benefits of this new state park.”

Other Androscoggin legislators who supported the park also expressed their appreciation for the efforts being made to create it.

"The Androscoggin Riverlands State Park Initiative is a win-win proposition,” State Sen. Margaret Craven, (D-Androscoggin), said. “It will provide Central Maine with a beautiful, accessible state park that will attract tourists to the area. The jobs that will be generated will make a big difference to people in the area, and it will be a source of pride for the people of Androscoggin and beyond."

“This is such wonderful progress,” State Sen. Deborah Simpson (D-Androscoggin County) said. “I remember when the river was one of the 10 most polluted in the country. To see the Androscoggin go from a liability to an asset is a real thrill.”

“I hope area residents will make every effort to attend the May 20 meeting at Leavitt High School,” State Sen. John Nutting, (D-Androscoggin County), said.

The latest developments have “kicked off the public outreach phase of this project,” Kathy Eickenberg, BPL Chief of Planning, said Monday. The development of a master plan for the proposed park will be “a very public process” that also allows for the development of a new park model created from the ground up and not one imposed on those who will use the unique river land area, she said.

“We recognize that it is not something we can just roll out in the next year,” Eickenberg said about the master plan. “This is a long-term vision for the park, and it will guide us over time to keep true to that vision.”

In 2007, the BPL acquired 326 acres of land at Turner Cove through a Land for Maine’s Future grant, with help from BPL’s longstanding partners, the Androscoggin Land Trust and the Trust for Public Lands. That acquisition was a key addition to the 2600- acre park lands as it provided a southern access point located just 2 miles north of the Lewiston-Auburn area. Androscoggin Riverlands has about 23 miles of multi-use and hiking trails and is within an hour’s drive for about 50 percent of the state’s population, Eickenberg said.

The new state park has strong legislative support from the Androscoggin County delegation, which urged Commissioner McGowan to create the new state park in a letter jointly signed in February 2008, Eickenberg noted.

In the first phase of the park planning initiative, spanning much of 2008, BPL planners worked with local municipalities, the Androscoggin Land Trust, Androscoggin River Alliance, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, and Androscoggin River Watershed Council, loosely organized as the “Androscoggin River Coalition,” to forge a broad vision for the Androscoggin corridor in the vicinity of the Riverlands. That vision was to create a vibrant recreation area along the river involving lands owned not only by the state but also the towns, land trusts, NextEra Energy (formerly FPL Energy) and others, managed and coordinated to provide a quality recreation experience that would also enhance economic development in the region.

The Androscoggin Riverlands State Park Master Plan Advisory Committee is composed of members representing a wide range of interests. It expands the core group of interests that the Bureau worked with over the last year, the Androscoggin River Coalition, with representatives of county government, recreational interests including ATV, snowmobile, and bike clubs, legislators, and a representative from NextEra Energy Resources Inc. which operates a series of hydropower generation dams on the river.

Wednesday night’s meeting went “very well,” with committee members “full of ideas and lots of real passion and commitment,” Eickenberg reported. “I envision we will have a solid, on-going partnership with this group.”

The advisory committee agreed to hold the first public scoping meeting on the Androscoggin Riverlands master plan at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 20, at Leavitt High School in Turner. Another announcement will be made close to that date.

Last Thursday, Eickenberg learned that BPL has been approved by MOHF for about $8,000 in funding for a land steward for the Riverlands. This follows a grant of $29,000 awarded a year ago by MOHF to fund the planning process. The land steward position will be filled from May 18 to the middle of October by MCC Environmental Educator Michelle Altamore, the chief planner said.

“She’s basically going to be an information resource for people coming to visit, to help visitors understand the trails, the natural resources, and to provide some background for people,” Eickenberg said.

The new steward also will conduct a survey among visitors about how the park should be developed and work with the park’s landscape architects, Mohr & Seredin of Portland. She also will work with a variety of partners on fun events “intended to get people out there and get input as we develop a master plan for the park,” Eickenberg said. One such event will be the June 6 statewide “Take A Hike” Day, which will include a number of activities at the Riverlands.

The new Androscoggin Riverlands website, found through a link from both the MDOC and BPL home pages, is designed “to inform people about this park resource, which has been a hidden treasure,” Eickenberg said.

The new website -- the first one for the Androscoggin Riverlands State Park – now contains a description of the Androscoggin Riverlands, and information on the master plan development process. It will also include notices of public and advisory committee meetings.

“I hope to make the website very useful,” Eickenberg said. “I hope it will be meaty, with lots of good information on it. As we go along, I hope to have a blog feature as well, so people can tell us what they think.”

For more information about the proposed Androscoggin Riverlands State Park, go to: http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/programs/planning/andro/androindex.shtml