Maine state parks assessing damage from storm

By Murray Carpenter, Maine Public

The winter storm that pummeled Maine left damage at some of Maine’s state parks.

Andy Cutko, director of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, visited Popham Beach State Park on Wednesday, and he said he had thought the damage would be worse.

“I was expecting it to be quite severe,” he said. “We definitely sustained minor-to-moderate dune erosion, but the parking lot’s intact, the bathhouse is intact, and I was actually impressed at how resilient a system it is.”

Cutko said the storm underscores the importance of preserving dunes, which protect coastal areas during storms. He said state crews also are assessing damage to a bridge at Reid State Park, and erosion at Ferry Beach and Crescent Beach state parks.

Inland parks also were affected by the storm. At Lily Bay State Park on Moosehead Lake, Cutko said more than 80 trees are down across trails and roads. Trails at Sebago Lake State Park also are blocked by downed trees, as are many snowmobile trails.

He said chainsaw crews will be working over the next few weeks to clear trails and roads in the parks.

This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.