Acadia advisory panel created by Congress fails to meet for 3rd time in 18 months

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 2, 2026

Acadia National Park’s citizen advisory commission has missed its second meeting in a row,  and its third meeting in less than a year and a half, amid funding cuts and staff departures across the National Park Service. In 1986, Congress established the 16-member commission to advise the secretary of the U.S Department of the Interior on Acadia National Park management and development. Since President Donald Trump was sworn into office in January 2025, there has been a mass firing of federal workers that included eight full-time employees at Acadia, where chronic seasonal staff shortages have left the park struggling to keep up with services.