On my Getting to Acadia page on my Discover-Acadia site, I talk about how easy it is to get to Acadia by hopping a shuttle flight from Boston’s Logan Airport to the little Bar Harbor-Hancock County Airport just off Mt. Desert Island in a little town called Trenton. But I just read today that that may change in the near future.

It seems that Colgan Air, which is a carrier for US Airways Express that uses 19-seaters to get people to Acadia, is upgrading its fleet of planes to  all 34-seaters. That’s a problem for the Trenton Airport, because legally, it can only accommodate planes that seat 30 passengers or less. So the new Colgan Air planes won’t be able to land there.

The airport is left with the following choices:

• look for a new commuter carrier that uses smaller planes
• upgrade their facilities and licensing, which could cost as much as $2 million
• go out of business

None of those avenues would be an easy road. Essential Air Service (EAS), a federal program enacted to guarantee commercial air service to small communities, could be asked to provide a new scheduled carrier. But, airport manager Bob Cossette points out that with the economic downturn in the US airline industry, a replacement may not be forthcoming. He goes on to point out that 14 EAS markets in the US have not found replacements after losing their original carriers.

I’ll try to keep my readers posted in this blog, as things develop. And of course, you’ll still be able to fly into Bangor and catch a bus, taxi or rental car to Mt. Desert Island. But getting to Acadia may just get harder in the near future.

Read the full article in the Ellsworth American paper online

Best, Kathi

Acadia in the spring can be beautiful… provided you don’t mind a bit of chilly weather. One thing is for sure — you won’t face the same kind of crowds you might experience in the summer months.

But, here’s another great incentive to visit in May this year… you can save 50% on your lodging at participating area inns and motels… just by making a $35 donation to Habitat for Humanity. The program is called Hospitality for Habitat. It’s a great cause, and you can help yourself while helping others.

Here are some of the participating local Acadia lodging places:

•  Black Friar Inn, Graycote Inn and Mira Monte Inn in Bar Harbor
• Bass Harbor Country Cottages and Country Inn in Bass Harbor
• Blue Hill Inn in Blue Hill
• Pilgrim’s Inn in Deer Isle
• Twilite Motel in Ellsworth
• Orland House B&B in Orland

For more information, you can see this article at the Ellsworth American newspaper site.

Wow! … is all I can say after reading a story in the Bangor Daily News about an Ellsworth-area developer who has turned over what looks like a totally new leaf after violating EPA regs while building a new development in wetlands near Acadia National Park.

Apparently Ray Builders discharged waste into wetlands around the Union River, and got caught by the EPA. On his own, Robert Ray not only paid the civil fine to the EPA, he also donated 17 acres near downtown Ellsworth as a conservation easement to offset the wetlands damage. That land will be protected from all future development… how nice for Ellsworth! On top of all that, he’s also funding a 3-year program to control invasive species in a freshwater wetland area of Acadia, an $87,000 expenditure over 3 years. I’d say that’s pretty impressive for a developer to do that!

One of the allures of Acadia is its natural flora and fauna, so anything that helps preserve that is certainly welcome. You can get the whole experience of Acadia in the Acadia Auto Tour.