Acadia’s citizen advisory commission has not met this year

 A small group of visitors look out from Sand Beach in Acadia National Park in May 2025. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) A citizen advisory commission for Acadia National Park has missed its two meetings so far in 2026. [The bylaws](https://www.nps.gov/acad/getinvolved/acadia-advisory-commission.htm) say the Acadia Advisory Commission shall convene at least three times per year. Usually, those meetings take place in February, June and September. The first two meetings planned this year have not happened, which members and stakeholders said seems to be the result of an administrative problem at the national level. Bruce Wiersma, the commission chair, wrote to the other members in June and asked them not to be discouraged. “I am convinced that the local Park Service staff have done, and are doing, everything in their power to get these meetings approved,” Wiersma wrote in the letter, which he provided to the Portland Press Herald. “Have patience.” Wiersma said in an interview that a federal law established the commission in 1986 to adjudicate boundary disputes between local communities and the park and advise on other matters. It has 16 members — three appointed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, three appointed by Maine’s governor and 10 representing towns surrounding Acadia National Park. In order to meet, the commission must provide public notice on the Federal Register. Wiersma said in his letter to the other commissioners that a staff person at Acadia submitted the year’s schedule in October, but it had not been approved and posted. Without that notice, the commission could not legally meet as planned in February and June. Advertisement The commission also missed a meeting in early 2025 and only convened twice that year. In most years for which minutes were available, the group met three times. Related [Acadia’s Jordan Pond House needs repairs. Federal funding might be coming.](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/18/acadias-jordan-pond-house-needs-repairs-federal-funding-might-be-coming/) Acadia National Park does not currently have a designated spokesperson and has directed media inquires to a general inbox. No one responded to an email about the Acadia Advisory Commission this week. The Office of Public Affairs at the National Park Service said they could not respond by deadline to questions about the missed meetings. The press offices at the Department of Interior and the National Archives and Records Administration, which houses the Office of the Federal Register, did not immediately respond to emails Tuesday. Kirk Emerson, who represents the island community of Frenchboro and serves as vice chair, said the commission talks about all kinds of public issues, such as the repairs to storm damage in recent years, land transfers, fire management and water access. Members of the public and the media can attend their meetings, she said. In September, the commission’s last meeting, [minutes show](https://www.nps.gov/acad/getinvolved/advisory-commission-meeting-notes.htm) that park leadership gave presentations and answered questions on topics such as utility systems, a rare wildfire caused by lightning, high summer visitation, a new visitor center and the use of e-bikes on the carriage roads. “The park wants to be a good neighbor,” Emerson said. “This forum does provide access to people who do have concerns.” Emerson said the lapse in meetings could hinder nearby residents and property owners. Advertisement “It probably does slow down the communication and the opportunities for exchange of information,” she said. Friends of Acadia and the Schoodic Institute both gave updates at the September meeting, as well. Nick Fisichelli, president and CEO of the Schoodic Institute, a close partner of the park, said he didn’t know why this year’s meetings haven’t happened. The organization continues to have a close working relationship with the staff at Acadia National Park, he said. “It’s definitely unusual,” Fisichelli said of the meetings not being held. Related [What to expect at Acadia and Maine’s state parks this year](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/04/24/what-to-expect-at-acadia-and-maines-state-parks-this-year/) Todd Martin, Northeast senior program manager at the National Parks Conservation Association, said park staff can still connect with local officials and citizens at other public meetings and events, but the lack of meetings is in conflict with [an order from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in June 2025](https://www.doi.gov/document-library/secretary-order/so-3434-strengthening-coordination-gateway-communities) to strengthen coordination with gateway communities to the parks. The National Park Service has a small number of boards and commissions, although it is not clear how regularly they meet or if they are experiencing the same problem. The most recent posting on the Federal Register for the Acadia Advisory Commission was [a call for nominations](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/14/2026-09583/request-for-nominations-for-the-acadia-national-park-advisory-commission) with a postmark deadline of June 15. Most members have three-year terms expiring in November. In his June 1 letter, Wiersma encouraged the members to make sure they provided the requested material for their reappointments, and said that subcommittees may continue to meet without official notice on the Federal Register. He wrote that three U.S. Congresses have endorsed this commission at different times. “It will not fade away,” Wiersma wrote. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [acadia national park](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/acadia-national-park/), [national park service](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/national-park-service/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle) [Megan GrayStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle) Megan Gray covers the outdoors and tourism at the Portland Press Herald. A Midwest native, she moved to Maine in 2016. She has written about presidential politics and local government, jury trials and. [More by Megan Gray](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle)