MAINE PUBLIC • December 4, 2025
A few dozen volunteers have been transplanting grass from Popham's eroding sandbanks into its imperiled dunes. The hope is the grass can help reinforce the beaches' dune system against further erosion. Popham Beach is one of Maine's most popular day-use state parks, attracting about 200,000 visitors a year. It's also eroding faster than other beaches in the state losing more than 91 feet of beach a year since 2017. A shift in the Morse River is mostly to blame for severe erosion. Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands Director Andy Cutko said the agency intends to hire a consultant to develop a range of options for the long term future of the park. Meanwhile, it is trying projects like the dune grass replanting to shore up the dunes in the near-term.