Enjoy the silence: Aircraft buffer mulled for Acadia National Park

Concerned about the peace and quiet of this scenic venue being disturbed by low-flying aircraft, park officials are working on an air tour management plan that would regulate the ability of planes and helicopters to operate above and near the park.

John Kelly, park planner for Acadia, said Friday that the park is trying to work with the Federal Aviation Administration to establish rules for how planes and helicopters will be allowed to enter the park’s airspace. He said the park would like to have a buffer zone that would extend a half-mile out from the park’s boundaries and 5,000 feet up into the air from park land.

“It’s really a noise issue,” Kelly said. “It’s not to prohibit air tours. It’s to manage them.”

Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport in nearby Trenton is where the known sightseeing air tours operate from, Kelly said. The air approaches to and from the airport are regulated by the FAA and would be exempt from any restrictions set by the proposed plan.

Kelly said the issue of air traffic over national parks is more of a concern in other states, but remains a big concern for Acadia nonetheless. He said it is such a concern that in 2000, Congress enacted a law requiring the FAA to work with the National Park Service on air tour management plans for national parks nationwide.

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