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Androscoggin Riverlands State Park
 The Department of Conservation through its Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) has initiated planning for the development of a new state park on 2,588 acres of state-owned land along the Androscoggin River just north of the Lewiston – Auburn area. These lands include 2,258 acres along the west shore in Turner, and 330 acres along the east shore in Leeds, known collectively as the Androscoggin Riverlands.
The land includes significant wildlife habitat; river shore, lakeshore and upland natural communities; historic landscapes; scenic vistas; and an existing recreational trails network.
This property is already widely-used for both motorized and non-motorized land and water recreation. There are presently 15 miles of multi-use trails that follow old roads on the property; and about 8 miles of hiking trails. A parking lot at the north end of the Turner lands, off the Center Bridge Road, provides access to these lands.
Much of the property has been owned by the state since 1990. Acquisition of Turner Cove in 2007 extended the Riverlands closer to the Auburn city line, making the relationship of the state park to the Lewiston-Auburn urban area an important consideration in planning for the future of the property. The Riverlands is already identified as a bicycle destination in the 2002 Long Range Facilities Plan for Bicycling and Walking in the Lewiston-Auburn Area.
This will be the first major state park developed in more than 25-years.
Located within an hour of 50% of the State’s population, the park will not only serve the Lewiston-Auburn area and Androscoggin County, but residents in the broader region, including primarily Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Kennebec and Oxford Counties.
Planning Process
Phase I - Regional Context: Over the course of the last year, the Bureau has worked closely with a coalition of interests - The Androscoggin River Coalition - to define a vision and broad framework for recreation enhancements to the Androscoggin River in the vicinity of the Riverlands as the related context for the Plan. Members of the Androscoggin River Coalition include representatives of Turner, Greene, Leeds, Lewiston and Auburn; the Androscoggin Land Trust, the Androscoggin River Watershed Council, the Androscoggin River Alliance, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, and the Maine DOC. The outcome of that effort was agreement by all parties that the Riverlands are part a larger Androscoggin River recreation area; that recreation management on the river should be coordinated and consistent, with an objective of providing a quality recreational experience that also enhances economic development in the region.
Phase II - Planning for Enhancements to the Riverlands: The second phase of the planning for the new Park will include a public process to solicit ideas for the new Park, and to understand any concerns or issues that are important in planning for this Park. An Advisory Committee consisting of various municipal representatives, conservation organizations, and recreation user groups has been formed to work closely with the Bureau in developing a long range vision for Park improvements. In addition, there will be two public meetings (to be scheduled in May and September) as the plan is developed to gather input from the broader public. The Bureau has secured the services of a landscape architecture firm to assist in developing a master plan for the Park
Plan Adoption and Implementation: The Bureau hopes to complete the plan for the Riverlands by late fall of this year. In addition, the Bureau hopes to also complete detailed designs for some of the improvements by the end of 2009, so that implementation can proceed as funds are made available in 2010. It is expected that it will take a number of years for the Plan to be fully implemented.
Public Participation
A formal public review and comment period will be established as part of the review process, and the Bureau will host public hearings to gather oral and written testimony from members of the public, and interested persons
If you wish to e-mail notices about upcoming meetings, hearings and important deadlines,
contact The Bureau of Parks and Lands (call 207-287-4963 or e-mail BPL@maine.gov).
Please provide your name, e-mail address, and we will add you to a list of interested parties for this project.
Project
Overview & Documents for Review
Project
Updates and Upcoming Events
The table below lists upcoming meetings,
public hearings, and other public events
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