Acadia National Park Boundary Clarification Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California (Mr. Lowenthal) for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise today in support of H.R. 4266, the Acadia National Park Boundary Clarification Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bipartisan bill, which was introduced by my colleague from Maine (Mr. Poliquin).

While you have already heard from Mr. Poliquin a lot about the importance of the intertidal zone, about the livelihood of clam diggers and wormers, and about the Acadia National Park, because our State is so important and we love our park, I am pretty much going to say it all again.

Maine is very proud to be home to Acadia National Park. This national treasure is a place where the mountains actually meet the sea. When you climb those mountains, you see miles of clear, blue ocean dotted with literally some of the hundreds and thousands of islands off the coast of Maine, one of which I am lucky enough to live on, not the one where Acadia National Park is.

But millions of people visit Acadia National Park every year to experience the incredible natural attractions, the hiking, and the climbing. But they also come there to be in downeast Maine. Downeast Maine is full of very many tight-knit communities, and those tight-knit communities are full of hardworking men and women, many of whom make their living on the water; and it is really hard work. Some of them are hauling lobster traps every day so that we can enjoy the wonderful lobster that is only delicious if you get it from the State of Maine. But many of them are bent over digging in the mud for clams, for other species, and for bloodworms; and it is really hard work.

H.R. 4266 would clarify a number of points to strengthen the park's relationship with the surrounding communities that we have been talking about. Most importantly, this bill will ensure that clammers, wormers, and other traditional harvesters can continue to work in the places where, frankly, they have worked for generations, many of them working alongside their sons or daughters when they go out every day.

In the spring of 2016, the harvesters were shocked when the park staff began prohibiting them from working along the coastline within Acadia's boundaries. There was no warning about changing a practice that had, frankly, gone on for decades. I appreciate the fact that park officials quickly ended their enforcement, but the actions sent shock waves throughout the area.

Washington County is the poorest county in Maine, and families there simply just can't afford to lose any source of income. H.R. 4266 would give the communities a sense of security by very explicitly stating that harvesters have a right to work within the park. It is a critical step to ensuring that Acadia National Park remains an attraction not only for its natural beauty, but for its unique way of life.

Again, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Poliquin, for recognizing the issue, for working with his harvesters, and for moving this forward. I am proud to be an original cosponsor. I urge its passage and urge all my colleagues to support it.

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