National Parks Traveler: Acadia's Friends

It’s been said time and again, the National Park Service is not adequately funded. There’s just not enough money in the agency’s annual budgets to address all the needs across the National Park System. And those needs are many, from maintaining facilities, keeping wastewater treatment plans operating smoothly, managing wildlife, and tending to ever growing throngs of visitors. That’s where friends groups and cooperating associations come into play. They provide much-needed financial support through philanthropic donations that might pay for wildlife research, trail maintenance, or campground upkeep.

Friends of Acadia is one such group, and its workload has grown through the years. While friends groups once were seen as raising charitable dollars to fund the “margin of excellence” in the parks, today the Park Service is relying more and more on these nonprofit organizations to fund projects addressing the “muscle and bones” of park operations.

Today we’re going to discuss this evolution with Eric Stiles, who recently took the helm at Friends of Acadia following David MacDonald’s departure.