Acadia concession award petitioned; gov't shutdown hurts businesses
An online petition at MoveOn.org, which at midday Wednesday had more than 4,500 supporters, is seeking a review of the National Park Service’s decision to replace concessions operator Acadia Corp. with an out-of-state company, the Bangor Daily News writes.
Acadia had operated the concessions for the past 80 years, but last week the park service awarded the 10-year contract to Ortega National Parks LLC of Santa Fe, N.M.
The petition calls for members of Maine’s congressional delegation to investigate the award, and describes Ortega as a “controversial company” that has used “powerful lobbyists and money to evict another local [contracted] business” from Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, the BDN said.
“Preservation of local jobs should be a priority,” the online petition reads. The BDN was not able to contact people who organized the petition drive.
Shane Ortega, president of the New Mexico firm, said last week his company plans to offer employment to Acadia staffers who want to return to their jobs next spring, when the park’s seasonal retail sites reopen.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud said in an emailed statement to the BDN that “a number of the concerns” have been brought to his attention over the award. Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King said in a separate emailed statement that he plans to raise the issue next week with NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis. And Kevin Kelley, spokesman for Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, wrote Wednesday in an email to the newspaper that Collins’ staff has been in touch with park service officials and members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to learn more about the contract process.
NPS officials have said the contract will not be signed until after it passes a 60-day review period by Congress.
Acadia National Park is now closed because of the federal government shutdown.
The shutdown is harming local businesses near the park, according to the Portland Press Herald, which wrote that Bar Harbor Lobster Bakes, whose business model relies on serving large groups of tourists who come through the park, has lost more than 300 customers and thousands of dollars since the park closed Tuesday.
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