Department of Conservation

AUGUSTA, Maine – (August 2, 2001) Accessing the spring-fed waters at Range Ponds State Park is now possible for visitors with disabilities thanks to a partnership between the Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) and the Poland Spring Water Company. At a lakeside ceremony held Thursday, August 2, the first beach-to-water wheelchair ramp of Maine’s State Park system was opened to the delight of an enthusiastic crowd.

The wheelchair ramp - along with a group shelter, an educational center, new playgrounds, a portion of the repair costs to Range Ponds dam, and a conservation easement - were funded as part of an agreement to allow Poland Spring Water to extract water from Park property. This unique relationship between the State and a private company was blessed by the Maine State Legislature in 1998 when it approved legislation that authorized BPL to enter into agreements for the extraction of water; a year later the Bureau began receiving royalties from the sale of water to Poland Springs, and construction started on improvements at the park.

BPL officials are thrilled with the myriad improvements at Range Pond State Park, which is located in the greater Lewiston-Auburn area: Soon the group shelter and enclosed educational center will display a water quality exhibit describing the local watershed and the water extraction process. This winter the shelter will be open to snowmobilers and cross-country skiers, in addition to traditional, summer use.

Two, green and brown-colored playgrounds blend into the park’s wooded surroundings, and provide a fun, safe recreational experience for children 3 – 12 years old. Slides and swings offer hours of entertainment while picnic tables are nearby so parents can keep an eye on children. Constructed of durable plastic, the playground equipment remains cooler on sunny days than metal jungle gyms do, won’t inflict splinters, like traditional wooden structures can, and is designed to be accessible to children with disabilities. According to park staff, “You can’t keep kids off the equipment. They love the new playgrounds!”

A shoreline conservation easement across from the park’s beach preserves the view for visitors, and repairs to the Range Ponds dam allow water levels to be managed throughout the year. Several of the park trails are wider and graded, providing complete park access to visitors with disabilities.

“Range Ponds State Park now sets the standard in the Maine State Parks system for accessibility for visitors with disabilities,” said Conservation Commissioner Ron Lovaglio. “Thanks to the State’s partnership with Poland Spring Water, all our park visitors will benefit from the many improvements throughout the system.”

To date the sale of water has provided the Bureau with over $1 million dollars in additional revenues. These revenues are being used to provide valuable information on ground water quality, to contract caretaker services on several heavily used Casco Bay Islands, to provide needed maintenance equipment to more than 40 state parks and historic sites, and to support the upkeep and maintenance of all of our parks and historic sites throughout the Maine State Park system.

Range Ponds State Park is one of the 32 state parks administered by the Bureau of Parks and Lands. Developed in 1976, the 740-acre park receives more than 70,000 visitors annually. According to records, Range Ponds State Park visitors purchase 1,000 of the 6,000 season passes sold at state parks. In addition to state parks, BPL administers 12 historic sites and more than 480,000 acres of public reserved land in Maine. Information about the agency is on the Internet at www.state.me.us/doc/parks