Isle all Haut XRID 8/20/44 The Park Lands of Isle au Haut: A Community Oral History The Community of Duck Harbor from Duck Harbor Mountain - Photo Courtesy Isle au Haut Historical Society A Research Report by Douglas Deur, Ph.D. Prepared under cooperative agreement with University of Washington Northeast Region Ethnography Program, National Park Service, Boston, MA 2013 UNITED STATES 7.36.2 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR opey NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ACADIA NATIONAL PARK Bar Harbor. Maine From: B. Howley PRELIMINARY REPORT ON ISLE AU HAUT On June 3. 1943. Mr. Breese, Mr. Sullivan and myself visited Iale au Haut to make a brief proliminary examination of the Island to form 1943. an opinion as to the desirability of accepting the offer of the Bowditch heirs of the gift of some 2700 acres of Land as an e xtension to Acadia National Park. Time did not prnit a thorough examination of the land offered. The were able only to view it from an autonchile as we rode around it on the encireling road. We were Agreed, however, that the land looked good and that in all probability the Service would be justified in accepting the offer. As an administrative officer. my first concern was the reaction of the Island people to the proposal. In going into this phase of the problem I had the good fortune to talk at length with the Chairman of the Board of Selectuon of the Town of Iale au Haut, Mr. Charles H. Turner, and with one of the other members of the Board, Mr. Hollis B. Revelle. It was their opinion that of the gift by the gov- erment would met with the approval of the Island people. Isle as Haut, Town of The Island of Isle an Haut was originally included in the Town of Deer Isle, Hancock County, Maine. In 1874 the Island was set off from Deer Inle and incorporated as the Town of Iele au Haut, still in Hancock County. In 1912 the Town of Isle au Haut was taken from Hanoock County and incorporated into Base COURTY The reason for this change was that at that time there me daily steamer service to Backland, the county seat of Inex County, while there was m public transportation to Ellsworth, the county seat of Haneeck County. House, the business of the town would be more easily conducted in Beekland. New, however, with excellent mainland roads, and beat service to Beekland disease timed, the town of Iele au Haut would be better off with it again in Hancock County. The resident population of the Island is 89. In - this number increases to 200, due to influx of - visitors to the colony called Lookout. The valuation of the Tour for taxation purposes is, in round figures, 21,000 assessed against year-round residents, and $102,000 assessed against gumpar residents, a total of $123,000. The tax rate for the current year is $30,309 per $1000 of valuation. There is one church on the Island serving the spiritual needs of the community. one COMMON school is maintained, the enrellment in which is seven. Children must go to Stonington on Deer Iale, or elsewhere, to attend High School. There are no donestie animals on the Island, a rather eurious and unusual circumstance. If the government accepts the gift, a total of 18 to 20 thousand dollars of value in taxable land will be removed from the tax rolls, representing a loss in tax revenue to the town of $600.00 at the current rate. The two Selectman with whom I talked summed up the matter somewhat as follows: The Bowditeh family has for years dominated the Island and its doings. They purchased the greater part of the land area, and diotated to quite an extent who should comprise the summer colony. They sold off lots only to families of their choosing. such lots bordering the sea. They would sell none of the rough back land to anyone. Now, how ever, tie:heirs of the Bowditah's no longer have interest in the greater part of the holding, and wish to be relieved of the burden of ownership and taxation. That boing the ease, the probability is. according to the Select- mm, that if the government does not accept the offer of the land in gift the owners will defaultithe taxes town will be obliged to take it on a tax lien action. Taking by this method. they feel, would leave the town in far worse ease them it would be if the government accepted the land in gift. the toma would leas the taxes, and would have great difficulty in selling the land. Government ownership of the land and development under 19 would, they believe, attract visitors to their Island and improve its economic status. It would appear, therefore, that the park would receive substantial cooperation from the Island falls if it acquired the property. That is a very encouraging factor in considering the matter. 2 The Tract I direct your attention to the map which a ecompanies this report. The area in green is that proposed as a gift to the park; the brown area is privately hold, much of it in the Bowditch heirs owner- ship. The gift area, as you will use, is in three prits, the larger being in the south part of the Island. A study of the Abstract of Title discloses that of the remainder of the Island the Bowditches own lots numbered 2-3-4-5-8-11-12 the remainder of Lot No. 32, con- taining Sawyer Notch; and the remainder of Lot No. 36, the cast boundary line of which crosses just eastuard of the summit of Jerusalan Mountain. It is my suggestion that the Bowditch heirs be asked to in- elude in the gift area the remainder of Lots 31 and 36. If they would do so, the gift area would thereby become two parts, the separation occurring at the northeast corner of Lot No. 7. Lot No. 7 is owned by Chief Justice Stone of the V. S. Supreme Court. If he were sufficiently interested to give the back end of his land within a boundary formed by the northerly projection of the east line of Lot No. 8, the gift area would become a solid block, leaving but one private holding within its exterior bounds, namely, an approximate one-fourth of Lot No. 32. I do not at the moment know who the owner of this small parcel is. The land on Isle au Haut, Knox County, Maine, offered in gift as an addition to Acadia National Park, resembles in character the land on Mt. Desort Ieland and Schoodic Penimsula now included within the park. Its outstanding features are its bold, seaward looking oliffs on the southern end of the Island, which are more expened and remote than any now in park ownership. Government ownership of the traet would present no difficult or extraordinary connistrative problems. Until some developments are made the area will not be the object of intensive resert by the public. After developments are made, resort to the area will in all probability GBD- be through the medium of guided sea-ernise trips from the park on Mount Desert Island. This will be in line with a plan proposed by Suparin- tendent Dorr many years ago. and the fulfillment of which will create an ocean-connocted island national park unique in the federal park "cen system. B. L. Hadley, Assistant Suprrintendent. American lidland Naturalist 72, 2 cocr. 1964 1767). MANVILLE: ISLE AU HAUT VERTEBRATES 397 The Vertebrate Fauna of Isle au Haut, Maine Merchant Island was settled by Anthony Merchant in 1772; Kimball Island by Seth Webb during the Revolution; and "Great Isle au Hau." RICHARD H. MANVILLE by Peletiah Barter in 1792. These three were incorporated in 1874 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D. C. as the township of Isle au Haut, then a part of Hancock, but si: transferred to Knox County. ABSTRACT: Isle au Haut, settled since 1792, is a remote island of Early residents bore the names of Barter, Calton, Chapin, Douglas, 4,700 acres in the outer reaches of Penobscot Bay, Maine. Its historical Grant, Kimball, Kimpton, Leland, Nutter, Rich, Sawyer and Turner, background and environmental nature are briefly described. Listed are 5 species of freshwater fishes, 3 amphibians, 3 reptiles, 123 birds, many of them still conspicuous among the present inhabitants. Early and 15 mammals recorded there. These are based on observations and occupations were fishing, lumbering, and sheep-raising. Sheep once specimens collected during two weeks on the island in the summer grazed on Great Spoon, Kimball, and York islands; on Isle au Haut of 1963. Distributional implications of insular faunas such as this are one man once had as many as 400 sheep at once, wandering un- discussed. INTRODUCTION fenced over the island and doing much damage to low vegetation. The absence of white oak on the island prevented the development Of the myriad islands along Maine's drowned coastline, Isle au of a major shipbuilding industry. Subsistence farming, raising of Haut, in the outer waters of Penobscot Bay, in Knox County, is as potatoes, and the harvesting of fish lobsters, blueberries, and pulpwood remote from the mainland as any except the much smaller Monhegan, continue as important occupations. Machias Seal, and Matinicus islands, and Mount Desert Rock. By 1800, Isle au Haut had some 50 settlers. The population in- Biologically, it has been explored only slightly. Since 1946, with the creased to 300 by about 1864; since then it has steadily declined. large gift of land from the heirs of Ernest W. Bowditch of Boston, The Union Congregational Church at the Thorofare Settlement, the major portion of Isle au Haut has been a part of Acadia National dedicated in 1857, still serves as a landmark and center of community Park, although distant by 25 miles from the headquarters area on activities Smaller settlements have developed on the island, notably Mount Desert Island. As yet the island has been little developed and at Head Harbor and Robinson Point, and scattered summer homes the pressure of summer tourists has not been felt. An inventory of the have been built. Summer visitors had discovered the island by 1880, fauna of Isle au Haut seems desirable, and this has been encouraged and presently the summer colony at Point Lookout was organized. by Paul G. Favour, Jr., Park Naturalist based at Bar Harbor. As a The first automobiles arrived in 1914 and began to replace the horse- result, it was my privilege to spend 12 days at Isle au Haut from drawn buckboards and surreys. Today the summer population on July 24 to August 4, 1963. My son accompanied me during part of Isle au Haut may number about 300, but in 1962 there were but 12 this time, and assisted with collections and observations over a large souls who resided the year 'round on the island. part of the island. Local residents were most helpful and cooperative The best historical account of the general area is Wasson's bock in providing information. The experience was delightful and unique, (1932), with chapters on "Isle au Haut Fishermen" and on "Tic 1 both sociologically and biologically. Incomplete as they necessarily Bores and Lobster Sloops." A more intimate picture of Isle au H. were, after such a brief period on Isle au Haut, my findings are here is the brief treatment by Eustis (1952). For the most part the islande : presented as a basis from which future studies may be made. live an independent and isolated life, interrupted briefly by the sur- Acknowledgments.-Without the assistance of many people this work would mer transients. They are of course tied to the mainland by their vesse.3, not have been accomplished. Paul G. Favour, Jr., helped with arrangements and expedited the study in many ways. Much useful support was had from and only occasionally is the watery highway closed - as during the Pearl Prescott, Stanley E. Dodge, Virginia MacDonald, Lee Chapin, and "cold snaps" of 1917 and 1943, when the mail was carried by slad Shirley J. Marine. Others who assisted in various ways (some identified by 6 miles across the ice to Stonington. Remarkably few fires have marred initials only in the text) were the following: Gordon Chapin (GC), Mabelle the island landscape. In the late 1870's a fire, started by blueberry Chapin, Barbara D. DeWitt, George Greenlaw, Mrs. Fred Hoskins (FH), Ted pickers, burned over the summit of Champlain Mountain for about Hoskins, Leon Liscomb, Bennie and Noyes MacDonald, Hollis Neville, and six weeks until extinguished by snow and rain. Smaller fires occurred Milton Weller. To all of these I am deeply grateful. south of Duck Harbor, in 1894, and near Horseman Point in August HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 1949. The hurricane of 1954 levelled many trees at different points on the island. Isle au Haut, sometimes called the "outermost island" in Penobscot THE ENVIRONMENT Bay, was known to the Indians, who camped here in summer. In their shell heaps and burial sites are found the remains of deer, otter, mink, Isle au Haut is the largest in a complex of islands along the outer muskrat, and waterfowl. Samuel de Champlain, exploring the coast reaches of Penobscot and Jericho bays. It is approximately 3 by 6 in 1604, gave the spot its present name, "the high island" variously miles in extent, with several deep indentations and promontories (Fig. spelled as Ille Haulte and l'isle haute in the 1613 and 1632 editions 1). In area it covers over 7 square miles. or about 4,700 acres, 2,800 of "Les Voyages de la Nouvelle France occidentale. " The nearby of which are in Acadia National Park. A road roughly following the periphery of the island is 14 miles long; several short roads and a 396 398 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 72(2) 1964 MANVILLE: ISLE AU HAUT VERTEBRATES 399 (Fig. 3A), also variously known as Lake Champlain, Crystal Lake, 68°40' 68°35' and Turners Lake or Pond; it is slightly more than a mile in length, Merchant and a tenth of a mile in greatest width. Hardwood TIME Acadia National Park Pell 1. Boundary The island is distinctly boreal in character, with a peculiar ad- Road Fires mixture of a few austral forms. The climate and the flora are es- Nathan 1. 0 Burnt sentially as described for Mount Desert Island (Manville, 1942). Most of the island is forested (Fig. 3B), except for small cultivated Point areas near habitations. The dominant trees are conifers - white and Lookout red spruce, balsam fir, white cedar, red and white pine, with occasional Richs Point hemlock, pitch pine, and black spruce. Deciduous trees include S. gar 44°05' Thorofare Settlement coombs and red maple, red oak, white, gray and yellow birch, aspen, nd Mtn. beech. Blueberries, bearberry, and Labrador tea comprise much or the Kimball Richs Core ground cover; alder, willow, and leatherleaf are common in marsies; 1. sphagnum bogs are frequent, and skunk cabbage (Symplocal pus foetidus) appears abundant in most lowland areas. York -N- 1. Robinson champlain Pt. Black Dina Mtn. Bald Mtn. Sawyer mtn x Trial Great Pt.t Herbor XMeadow Jerusalem Mtn. 0 Horseman Great Seal Trap Pt. spoon Eli 1. Bowditch screek Mtn. Little Sharks Boom spoon Pt. Beach 1. Wentworth Mtn. Harbor Sheep X Thief A Duck Harbor. Gulch Mtn. Head Harbor Eastern MAINE Western Deep Ear Head Cove Eastern Head Western ISLE AUHAUT 0 1 MILE Ear SCALE M.W. M. Fig. 1.-Map of Isle au Haut, Knox County, and vicinity, based on trail map by Richard L. Bowditch and on the Deer Isle quadrangle of the U. S. Geological Survey, 1942. number of rather overgrown trails traverse other parts of the island, both the interior and the coastal sectors. The topography of the island is irregular. A central ridge of hills runs north and south; Champlain Mountain, the highest point, reaches 543 feet in elevation, and is largely forested on the summit. These hills terminate in rocky headlands, as at Western Head and Sharks B Point (Fig. 2). A number of small streams drain the interior, and at the lower levels there are many swamps and marshes. There is Fig. 2.-Rocky headlands on Isle au Haut. A. Western Head from near only one body of fresh water, in the southeastern section - Long Pond Deep Cove. B. Moore Harbor from Sharks Point. : APPENDIX III A BOWDITCH FAMILY TREE * Nathaniel Bowditch 2m. Mary Ingersoll (1773-1834) (1781-1834) Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838) of Salem was a self-taught mathematician, navigator and author of The New American Practical Natigator, first published in 1802. ou by Charles Degued, 1835. (1 of 8) Anther Oboundetch Jonathan Ingersoll Bowditch m. Lucy Orne Nichols (1806-1889) (1816-1883) Henry Charles Charlotte Lucy Eliza Alfred two Pickering Pickering Bowditch Bowditch Ingersoll Bowditch infants: Bowditeh Bowditch (1846-1919) (1850-1918) Bowditch (1855-1918) William & M. (1840-1911) (1842-1921) m. (1852-90) m. Mary m. m. Richard Stone Mary Louisa Rice Selma Knauth Cornelia Rockwell of 8 Manfred Mary Orne Margaret Rosamund (1890-19 ) (1881-195 ) (1883- (1889-1950) m. m. N. P. Augustus Hallowell Loring 6 children 7 children * The famous progenitor of the family hailed from Salem and lived from 1773 to 1838. As a ship chandler's apprentice he found time to teach himself math- ematics and Latin. He soon became a ship's captain and combined his mathemat- ical and sailing skills to produce the still-used American Practical Navigat- or in 1802. Although wanted by many colleges to teach mathematics, he prefer- red to become an actuary in a Boston Insurance company. He received more hon- ors, passed the editorship of his book on to his son Jonanthan, and died at - the age of 65 in Boston. Jonathan ("Grandpapa" to Mrs. Loring) brought his family to Moss Hill from Canton. WILLARD I. MORSE ATTORNEY AT LAW 10 STATE STREET BOSTON, MASS. February 17, 1943 The Director National Park Service Merchandise Mart Chicago, Illinois Attention of G. A. Moskey, Esq., Chief Counsel Dear Sir: I have your letter of February sixth enclosing a copy of the opinion ( M 32034) of Theodore Spector, Esquire, Assistant Solicitor of the Department. Taking up the matters discussed in that opinion in the order in which they are referred to, I beg to advise you that the date of the close of my examination of the title was November 4, 1942 and the certification should be dated Novem- ber 4, 1942. I have added that date to t he certification sheet in the copy of the abstract still in my possession and will be glad to add it to the corresponding sheet in the original abstract which I delivered to you, or execute a duplicate certification bearing that date which can be added to the original abstract. The real estate taxes assessed as of April 1, 1942 have been paid by the Isle au Haut Land Company and no lien for taxes exists at this date. If, however, the deed from Isle au Haut Land Company to the United States of America is not recorded prior to April 1, 1943 the lien for the taxes 2. assessed as of that date will attach to the land and the Isle au Haut Land Company will be forced to pay another whole years taxes if I read the paragraph numbered one of the opinion correctly. Paragraph number two of said opinion apparently needs no comment from me except to advise you that no improve- ments or repairs have been made on the premises which could 3 result in mechanics liens whether of record or not and I be- lieve I am correct in stating that under the laws of the State of Maine there is no such thing as a mechanics lien not a matter of record. I have ascertained that Clara C. Black whose husband, if any, failed to join in her conveyance of January 12, 1912 to Ernest W. Bowditch (abstract p. 91) was formerly the wife of TELEPHONE LAFAYETTE 1611 WILLARD I. MORSE ATTORNEY AT LAW 10 STATE STREET BOSTON, MASS. -2 February 17, 1943 Austin Black from whom she was divorced around the years 1890 or 1891; that said Austin Black died in New York City between 1901 and 1903; and that said Clara C. Black died in Rockland, Maine on September 7, 1916 leaving no husband. This seems to dispose of this question irrespective of the fact that a hus- band has had no estate by the curtesy in Maine since the year 1895. See Laws 1895 Chapter 157 Sec. 2. The interest of Lemuel Kempton or his issue in parcel No. 9 referred to in paragraph four of the opinion appears to me to be 80 ancient that it is wholly barred by adverse posses- 1884 sion. In the year 1884. when Ernest W. Bowditch and Albert B. Otis were gathering in the various outstanding interests in this parcel, they found it wholly impossible to locate either Lemuel Kempton or his children but they did ascertain that he had then not been heard from for twenty-six years, that at the time of his disappearance his wife was then dead, and that at the time of his disappearance he had two daughters then living who had not been heard from since. From the foregoing, it ap- 5 pears that Lemuel Kempton disappeared about the year 1858 and that the adverse possession against him and his heirs commenced in the year 1884 when his co-tenants conveyed the property to Bowditch and Otis. On these facts, any possible interest which he or his children had in 1884 appears to have long since terminated. It should also be noted that if in fact said Lemuel Kempton died without issue, his heirs at law were his brothers and sisters or their issue from whom said Bowditch and Otis purchased the premises and on such a state of facts they acquired the whole title by the recorded deeds. As to the one-half interest in parcel No. 9 outstand- ing of record in the heirs or devisees of Albert B. Otis, the title must stand on the adverse possession of Ernest W. Bowditch and his seccessors in title since August 7 1915, the date of a deed from Isle au Haut Company to Ernest W. Bowditch, sheet 28 of the abstract, which included parcel nine. I personally dis- cussed this matter with Mrs. Margaret S. Bowditch in 1928 and she then told me that Albert B. Otis and her husband Ernest W. Bowditch must have executed a deed to Isle au Haut Company of this parcel which was, through inadvertence, never recorded and which had been lost or destroyed because in 1907 when the Isle au Haut Company conveyed a portion of this lot to Margaret A. Jones, sheet 180 of the abstract, Albert B. Otis was still interested with Mr. Bowditch in the Isle au Haut Company, knew all about the sale to Mrs. Jones and would not have allowed the sale to be made had he, as well as Mr. Bowditch, not supposed the title to be in the corporation. TELEPHONE LAFAYETTE 1611 WILLARD I. MORSE ATTORNEY AT LAW 10 STATE STREET BOSTON, MASS. -3 February 17, 1943 The title to the southeasterly forty-five (45) acres of the second tract described in Parcel No. 12, referred to in paragraph four (b) of the opinion must stand on the adverse possession of Ernest W. Bowditch and his successors in title under the color of title of the deed from John C. Turner dated June 12, I899, sheet 224 of the abstract. Sheets 228 to 234 of the abstract show the adverse chain of title to this parcel in Henry C. Sproul in the year 1887. I made no attempt to fol- low this adverse chain of title beyond the year 1887 except to ascertain that Ernest W. Bowditch never acquired it and it is possible that an examination of the records from 1887 to date would disclose the present record ownership, The Isle au Haut Company now believes that it has acquired a good title to this portion of Lot 32 on the Lewis Plan by reason of its payment of taxes and other acts of possession and it appears to me that it may as well be included in the deed to the United States of America for what the title is worth, and if later the successors in record title of Henry C. Sproul make claim to it such claim may be contested or admitted as the Department sees fit. The Isle au Haut Company record owner of Parcel 15 referred to in paragraph five of the opinion, ceased to trans- act any business prior to August 21, 1915 and on that date was excused from filing annual returns as provided for in chapter 47, Sec. 31, R.S. of Maine. It was originally incorporated on June 28, 1883 and its original stockholders were Elihu Chauncey 18% of New York, Ernest W. Bowditch of Boston, Charles C. Beaman, Jr. of New York, Albert B. Otis of Boston and James R. May of Ports- mouth, New Hampshire. Neither Mr. Richard Bowditch nor I have any idea who the stockholders were in 1915 other than Ernest W. Bowditch (or where the corporate records are at present. Under these circumstances it seems impossible to elect a new board of directors and officers and authorize the execution of a deed of Parcel 15. Adverse possession since 1915 by the Isle au Haut Land Company and its predecessors in title is complete and un- questioned and it would seem to me that the government should take this title for what it is worth. Relative to the claim of ownership of the heirs of Nathaniel Merchant to Lot 28, which is a portion of Parcel 7 referred to in paragraph six of the opinion, Mr. Bowditch ad- vises me that his mother acquiesced in that claim solely for the reason that she did not care to enter into any dispute with residents of the island and thus cause hard feelings. Mr. Bow- ditch does not know the basis of the claim nor do I. The record title of Isle au Haut Land Company appears to be good and this lot can either be left in the deed or omitted from it as you prefer. WILLARD I. MORSE ATTORNEY AT LAW 10 STATE STREET BOSTON, MASS. -4 February 17, 1943 I will obtain and mail to you a copy of the Articles of incorporation of Isle au Haut Land Company and evidence of 10 the payment of its franchise taxes within a few days as per your request in paragraph seven of the opinion. The error in the description of Parcel No. 14, re- ferred to in paragraph nine of the opinion, has been corrected and the proposed deed will be executed with Parcel No. 14 properly described. The best man for Mr. George B. Dorr to interview on GBD Isle au Haut is Mr. Charles Turner, one of the Selectmen as he knows more about the ownership of Mr. Bowditch, Mrs. Bowditch and the Isle au Haut Company than anyone else on the island. I am mailing a copy of this letter to Mr. Dorr for his information. Yours very truly, WIM:K Isle Au Haut Development creept Plan. ANP August 1990 BACKGROUND Isle au Haut is situated 15 miles southwest of Mount Desert Island (see Figure 1). The island is approximately six miles long and three miles wide, with its long axis trending in an almost due north-south direction. It encompasses nearly 6,700 acres and is surrounded by numerous small islands, particularly around its northern shoreline. A median ridge runs most of the length of the island's long axis, with the highest point being the summit of Mt. Champlain, 543 feet above sea level. The NPS manages some 3,241 acres of the island comprises the Isle au Haut unit of Acadia National Park. Most of the park land is located on the southern half of the island. About 55 individuals presently reside on Isle au Haut on a year round basis. During the summer, approximately 300 summer residents spend part or all of the season on the island. Visitation to the Isle au Haut unit of Acadia NP occurs from May through October, with the greatest visitation occurring during July and August. The only access to Isle au Haut is by boat. Public transportation to the island is provided by mail boat from Stonington -- a fishing port located six miles northwest of Isle au Haut on the southern end of Deer Isle, some 36 miles south of Ellsworth. The island terminus of the mail boat is the Village of Isle au Haut, the most concentrated residential area on the island. In addition, during the summer months the boat takes passengers to Duck Harbor which is located on the western shore of the island within the Park. Service to Duck Harbor is available twice daily from mid-June to mid-September, except when bad weather forces cancellation of any trip. Visitors to the island arrive either at the town dock in the Village of Isle au Haut or on the south shore of Duck Harbor. The park campground is immediately adjacent to the Duck Harbor dock facility. When the boat does not run to Duck Harbor, it leaves visitors at the town landing, and overnight visitors must be prepared to hike 2 four and one-half miles from the town landing to Duck Harbor Campground. During the summer, park staff attempt to monitor each mailboat arrival at the town dock and to explain to each park visitor how to reach the park and the campground. Also, a park ranger boards the mail boat at the town landing for the run to Duck Harbor in order to answer questions and advise visitors about the remote island experience on Isle au Haut. Guided interpretive hikes are offered by the park staff member who accompanies the noon Duck Harbor arrival. Visitors are provided with an orientation brochure describing park trails and other places of interest. Information is also available to the public at the ranger station, located in the village proper. Day use is limited at the Isle au Haut portion of the Park with a fifty person limit per day in effect since 1983. Twenty-five day use visitors are allowed during the spring and fall. The limitation on access is designed to maintain a sense of a remoteness to protect natural resources, and to reduce interaction of park visitors with the local community The remote camping experience on Isle au Haut is highly valued since this type of experience is scarce in the northeastern region of the country. Compatible development as determined by the Assessment of Alternatives (1977) includes five campsites with shelter. Each shelter accommodates a maximum of 6 overnight visitors, for a total of thirty campers, although this limit is rarely met. Overnight camping is handled on a reservation basis from Park Headquarters on Mount Desert Island. PLANNING HISTORY Land on Isle au Haut was first donated to Acadia National Park in 1943, but little was done by the National Park Service in the way of specific planning for Isle au Haut until a proposed master plan for Acadia was made available in 1972. The plan recommended an exchange of Park lands for private lands in order to consolidate Park acreage on Isle au Haut and to release non-contiguous Park land for private use. 3 Re: Bowditch Isle au Haut Donation Date - Inbox - Verizon Yahoo! Mail Page 1 of 1 Verizon Yahoo! Mail Verizon Central Yahoo! Search: Web Search Welcome, eppster2@verizon. Mail Home All-New Mail Tutorials Help YAHOO! [Sign Out, Member Center ] verizon MAIL Classic Mail Contacts Calendar Notepad What's New? Mobile Mail Options Check Mail Compose Search Mail Search the Web Previous I Next I Back to Messages Mark as Unread Print Folders [Add Edit] Delete Inbox (6) Reply Forward Spam Move Drafts (7) Re: Bowditch Isle au Haut Donation Date Thursday, September 4, 2008 2:34 PM Sent From: "Michael_Blaney@nps.gov" Spam [Empty] To: eppster2@verizon.net Trash [Empty] My Folders [Hide] Ronald, DorrBio2008 (33) Isle Au Haut Land Company donated tracts 16-102, 03, 04 in 1943, Eliz messages (6) Accepted Horseshoe Pond 1/26/1944. Tract 17-101 was deeded 6/23/44 and it was accepted 12/30/44. Member Informa Ron Archives (31) Your information was useful. I think I will try and acquire copies of the archive maps for our files. Search Shortcuts My Photos Best, My Attachments Michael Delete Reply Forward Spam Move Previous Next Back to Messages Select Message Encoding I Full Headers Check Mail Compose Search Mail Search the Web Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. I Copyright/IP Policy I Terms of Service I Send Feedback I Help NOTICE: We collect personal information on this site. To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy. verizon Note: See "Isle -an - Haut, llaine, and its Late." Acadia Naboral Parh Archwes. Box HB.f5. http://mc842.mail.yahoo.com/mc/showMessage?fid=Inbox&sort=date&order=down&start. 9/4/2008