Acadia National Park was back up and running at full strength on Monday as park employees, many of whom had been furloughed by the partial government shutdown, returned to work.
“Employees at Acadia National Park are happy to be back at work today, serving the American people and welcoming visitors to their national parks,” Acadia National Park said in a post on its Facebook page Monday afternoon.
“We thank community members, partners, local and state governments that stepped up to support the park during the lapse in appropriations,” the message said.
According to Acadia National Park, winter visitor services will be available between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily at the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce visitor center located at the corner of Cottage and Main streets in downtown Bar Harbor.
During the shutdown, which began Dec. 22, Acadia National Park remained open to the public, but public restrooms were unavailable and there was no trash collection. Facilities and road maintenance services were curtailed as well. Park rangers and a handful of essential park employees continued to work without pay.
Friends of Acadia and the National Park Service reached an agreement during the shutdown that allowed volunteers to resume grooming Acadia National Park’s carriage road trails for cross-country skiers.
“All of us at Friends of Acadia are deeply relieved that the shutdown is over, but we are also mindful that it will be a while yet before Acadia National Park is back to normal,” Friends of Acadia said in a post on its Facebook page Monday. “We welcome our friends at the National Park Service back to their jobs today and offer our full partnership and support in jointly tackling the important work ahead.”
Friends of Acadia said the rangers should be commended for working long hours without pay and keeping an eye on the park.
The government shutdown ended Friday after Congress and President Trump signed a continuing resolution that will fund the government through Feb. 15. P. Daniel Smith, deputy director of the National Park Service, said in a statement that regular operations will resume at most national parks this week, though schedules could vary from park to park.
Smith said that some parks may not reopen immediately.
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