A bill relating to the establishment of a permanent boundary for that portion of the Acadia National Park as lies within the town of Isle au Haut, Maine.
PL 97-335 (S.1777), enacted 10/15/1982

PUBLIC LAW 97-335—OCT. 15, 1982 
96 STAT. 1627 
Public Law 97-
97th Congress 
335 
An Act 
Relating to the establishment of a permanent boundary for that portion of the 
Acadia National Park as lies within the town of Isle au Haut, Maine. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Congress 
finds that— 
(1) there are significant scenic, educational, natural, and 
cultural resources in the town of Isle au Haut, Maine; 
(2) due to the isolated location and traditional resource-based 
economy of the town's island community, these resources are 
fragile and deserving of conservation and protection through 
both public and private efforts; and 
(3) both residents of the town and visitors to the Acadia 
National Park will benefit from the establishment of a perma-
nent boundary for the park and the management of parklands 
on a limited entry, low intensity basis. 
SEC. 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the perma-
nent boundary of Acadia National Park lying within the town of Isle 
au Haut, Maine, is hereby established to include only those lands 
and interests therein as are depicted on the map entitled "Boundary 
Map, Acadia National Park, Town of Isle au Haut, Maine", num-
bered 123-80003 and dated October 1981, which map is on file and 
available for public inspection in the offices of the Department of 
the Interior and at the Registry of Deeds for Hancock and Knox 
Counties, Maine. 
SEC. 3. (a) Within the boundary established by section 2, and as 
indicated on the map referenced therein, the Secretary of the 
Interior (hereinafter referred to as "the Secretary") is authorized to 
acquire lands and interests therein by donation or exchange. The 
Secretary is authorized and directed to acquire by donation, pur-
chase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange the tract 
known as the Hamilton lot in Duck Harbor. No later than one 
hundred and eighty days from enactment hereof, the Secretary shall 
convey to the town of Isle au Haut all right, title and interest of the 
United States in and to those lands under the jurisdiction of the 
Secretary which lie outside the boundary established by section 2 
and within the town of Isle au Haut, subject only to such covenants 
running with the land as the Secretary and the town agree are 
necessary to preserve the general character of such lands, which 
shall include covenants to maintain forever in their natural condi-
tion (excepting the cutting of fire trails and the extinguishment of 
fires) lands above three hundred feet above the mean high water 
level: Provided, however. That such covenants with respect to lands 
above three hundred feet and below four hundred feet shall permit 
the gathering and removal of dead and fallen timber. 
(b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, the Secre-
tary is also authorized to accept by donation, as a coholder for 
enforcement purposes only, a limited enforcement interest in con-
Oct. 15, 1982 
[S. 1777] 
Acadia National 
Park, Maine, 
boundary 
establishment. 
16 u s e 341 note. 
Public 
inspection. 
16 u s e 341 note. 
Land acquistion. 
16 u s e 341 note. 
Land 
conveyance. 
Enforcement. 
96 STAT. 1628 
PUBLIC LAW 97-335—OCT. 15, 1982 
Parkland 
preservation. 
16 u s e 341 note. 
Report. 
Report to 
congressional 
committees. 
Review and 
revision. 
servation easements on lands outside the boundary established by 
section 2 hereof and within the town of Isle au Haut which may 
from time to time be donated to the Isle au Haut Land Conservation 
Trust, a trust established under the laws of the State of Maine. The 
Superintendent of Acadia National Park is hereby authorized to 
serve as an ex officio trustee of such trust. 
SEC. 4. (a) The management and use of parklands on Isle au Haut 
shall not interfere with the maintenance of a viable local commu-
nity with a traditional resource-based economy outside the bound-
ary of the park. To the maximum extent practicable, no develop-
ment or plan for the convenience of park visitors shall be under-
taken which would be incompatible with the preservation of the flora 
and fauna or the physiographic conditions now prevailing, and every 
effort shall be exerted to maintain and preserve this portion of the 
park in as nearly its present state and condition as possible. In 
recognition of the special fragility and sensitivity of the park's 
resources, visitation shall be strictly limited to assure negligible 
adverse impact on such resources, to conserve the character of the 
town and to protect the quality of the visitor experience. 
(b) In furtherance of the purpose of subsection (a) of this section, 
the Secretary shall prepare a report establishing carrying capacities 
for the Isle au Haut portion of Acadia National Park. The report 
shall be prepared and the carrying capacities established with 
public participation and in consultation with the town of Isle au 
Haut and other interested parties. 
(c) The Secretary shall transmit the report to the Energy and 
Natural Resources Committee of the Senate and the Interior and 
Insular Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives no later 
than six months from the date of enactment of this Act. The 
Secretary shall begin implementing the carrying capacities con-
tained in the report sixty days after the report has been transmitted 
to the committees. 
(d) Carrying capacities established pursuant to this section shall 
be reviewed, and if necessary revised, every five years. Any revision 
in such carrying capacity shall be made in accordance with the 
procedures set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. 
(e) Until such time as a carrying capacity limitation is established 
and implemented pursuant to subsections 0)) and (c) of this section, 
the Secretary shall take such temporary measures as are necessary 
to assure that visitation does not exceed the average annual visita-
tion for the period 1979 to 1981. 
PUBLIC LAW 97-335—OCT. 15, 1982 
96 STAT. 1629 
SEC. 5. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated after 
Appropriation 
October 1, 1982, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the 
ig usc^^lfnote 
provisions of this Act. 
Approved October 15, 1982. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1777: 
SENATE REPORT No. 97-425 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 128 (1982): 
June 10, considered and passed Senate. 
Sept. 30, considered and passed House.