PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 1, 2025
The federal government shutdown is already having an impact on one of the most cherished slices of Maine. While open to the public, Acadia National Park is down to only staff deemed essential to the protection of the park and the health and safety of visitors. Eric Stiles, president and CEO of the Friends of Acadia nonprofit, said the shutdown is “highly disruptive” to national park employees, visitors and the local economy. Employees whose roles are considered “exempt” from the shutdown, or reliant on non-federal dollars, are expected to continue working for as long as those funds are available. Volunteer activities will continue, unless the “necessary oversight by NPS personnel cannot be provided,” the plan states. Employees who do not fall under those categories are to be furloughed, the plan says.