[Maine-birds] closure of 10 Midcoast and Southern coast state parks

In case this might affect your birding plans, the state closed 10 parks at midnight, including Two Lights, Reid, and Kettle Cove.  It's keeping a close eye on Bradbury Mountain, Wolfe's Neck, Sebago, and Range Pond due to recent crowds there.  Here's the announcement:

Effective Friday, March 27 at 12:01 am, the following Midcoast and Southern Maine coastal State Parks and beaches are closed until April 8: Reid State Park, Popham Beach State Park, Fort Popham, Fort Baldwin, Kettle Cove State Park, Two Lights State Park, Crescent Beach State Park, Scarborough Beach State Park, Ferry Beach State Park, and Mackworth Island. (Note that the closure could be extended depending on the spread of the potentially deadly virus.)

Overcrowding in the past few weeks has made it increasingly difficult for the public to implement appropriate physical distancing. As a result, the department is closing select coastal parks and beaches and monitoring visitation at all State Parks. Additionally, last weekend, the BPL recorded heavy use at Sebago Lake State Park, Range Pond State Park, Wolfe's Neck State Park and Bradbury Mountain State Park. With warm temperatures, overcrowding may become an issue requiring additional measures in these and other State Parks. The BPL is calling on visitors to be mindful of crowding and to seek alternate close-to-home spots to get outside, including back yards and neighborhoods, land trust trails, wildlife management areas, and public lands.

"Closing any of our State Parks is the last thing we want to do," DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal stated. "We are keeping as many parks as possible open, and we encourage people to look for ways to take much-needed breaks in the outdoors that allow them to avoid crowded places and maintain physical distancing."

The department will work closely with local, county, and state public safety officials as it modifies park operations. Other measures taken to date by the BPL include canceling all park events and closing all playgrounds and public restrooms. Additional steps under consideration for this weekend involve restricting vehicular traffic and parking at some parks to reduce the concentration of visitors.

The BPL has set up a webpage with a list of park closures and descriptions of curtailed services at www.parksandlands.com/covid19. During the closures, BPL staff will continue patrolling parks and will work with local and state law enforcement to enforce all coronavirus guidelines and park regulations.

Full announcement is here:  https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/select-coastal-state-parks-closed-due-overcrowding-2020-03-26

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