Damaged more extensively than first realized, Maine’s most popular state park campground may open in time for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, according to a press release from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL), under the Maine Department of Conservation (MDOC).

Sebago Lake State Park, known for its sandy, lake-front beaches and extensive campground – a traditional favorite with Maine residents and visitors alike – will remain closed until Friday, Sept. 2, because of the amount of tree damage at the park and the lack of power caused by Tropical Storm Irene, according to Will Harris, BPL director.

“We would like people to come and enjoy the last weekend of summer with us,” Harris said Tuesday. “We’re working as hard as we can to make that a reality.”

A crew of 24, including BPL staff, Maine Forest Service forest rangers, and Maine Conservation Corps, plus campground hosts, are working to clean up fallen trees, limbs and other debris at the park, which was closed following Sunday’s massive storm and high winds.

While the park endured a great deal of tree damage, no buildings, infrastructure nor recreational vehicles and campers were damaged in the storm. And fortunately, no one was injured, according to park officials.

One of the remaining concerns is to have power restored to the park. As of Tuesday, thousands of people in the Sebago Lake area still were without power, though Central Maine Power (CMP) continually is restoring power to residents in the region.

“Our goal is to be open for Labor Day weekend,” Harris said. “There’s a lot of work to be done. We understand that CMP has its hands full. The real issue is not getting rid of wood, but getting back power so we can run water, sewer and lights.”

The BPL director said that park staff is exploring the possibility of installing temporary generators, which might allow the park to open this weekend. Harris said BPL will make the call on opening the park “by the close of business on Wednesday.

“We’ll know one way or the other what’s in front of us,” Harris said, adding that some prospective campers already are getting refunds. “We would like to have to not continue doing that.”

Sebago Lake State Park, opened in 1938, is located on Maine’s second largest and its deepest lake. The 250-site campground is a traditional favorite vacation spot for families. Last year, there were more than 91,500 camping nights spent at the campground, and about 165,000 people visited the park for day use.

On Tuesday, MDOC staff members were hard at work cleaning up large, downed trees along the beachfront and in the campground. A team of six Maine Conservation Corps members, who are skilled trail builders, were deployed from another project at Grafton Notch State Park and were sent to Sebago to help out, Harris said.

The Maine Forest Service (MFS) sent a crew of four forest rangers, plus the Forest Protection Division’s chipper and chipper truck, to help with the cleanup.

Harris said BPL and the park staff were very grateful for the support of the MFS and MCC in helping at the park. He said their work was instrumental in getting Sebago cleared out and up and running again.

Wearing protective gear and using hand signals, MFS Laborer Ryan Doyon directed two crew members, Park Rangers Dan Ross and Jake Rideout, who were working backhoes and lifting heavy tree trunks into the chipper. By noon, about 8 tons of wood chips had been made, Doyon said.

The forest ranger said he usually works with MFS “Firewise” Communities – those communities that take part in the forest service’s program to reduce the chance of wildfires spreading to residential areas. “This is definitely a lot more to do in a small area,” Doyon said.

Campground hosts Don and Eileen Messier of Standish have made Sebago their summer home for the past four years. In return for taking care of one of the bathhouses, they receive a free camp site for their camper.

“We live here all summer,” Eileen Messier said. “Sunday night, no one was here at all,” the campground host said, adding that park staff asked them to leave for their safety.

On Tuesday, the couple had returned and were cleaning up tree debris and limbs from around the campground and bathhouse, moving wood to the camp road for the chipper and burning debris in their fire pit.

“Look at my tomatoes,” Don Messier said, pointing to his potted tomato bushes by the side of the camper. “They made it through the storm. I laid them on the ground.”

For more information about Maine state parks, go to: www.parksandlands.com.

Damaged more extensively than first realized, Maine’s most popular state park campground may open in time for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, according to a press release from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL), under the Maine Department of Conservation (MDOC).

Sebago Lake State Park, known for its sandy, lake-front beaches and extensive campground – a traditional favorite with Maine residents and visitors alike – will remain closed until Friday, Sept. 2, because of the amount of tree damage at the park and the lack of power caused by Tropical Storm Irene, according to Will Harris, BPL director.

“We would like people to come and enjoy the last weekend of summer with us,” Harris said Tuesday. “We’re working as hard as we can to make that a reality.”

A crew of 24, including BPL staff, Maine Forest Service forest rangers, and Maine Conservation Corps, plus campground hosts, are working to clean up fallen trees, limbs and other debris at the park, which was closed following Sunday’s massive storm and high winds.

While the park endured a great deal of tree damage, no buildings, infrastructure nor recreational vehicles and campers were damaged in the storm. And fortunately, no one was injured, according to park officials.

One of the remaining concerns is to have power restored to the park. As of Tuesday, thousands of people in the Sebago Lake area still were without power, though Central Maine Power (CMP) continually is restoring power to residents in the region.

“Our goal is to be open for Labor Day weekend,” Harris said. “There’s a lot of work to be done. We understand that CMP has its hands full. The real issue is not getting rid of wood, but getting back power so we can run water, sewer and lights.”

The BPL director said that park staff is exploring the possibility of installing temporary generators, which might allow the park to open this weekend. Harris said BPL will make the call on opening the park “by the close of business on Wednesday.

“We’ll know one way or the other what’s in front of us,” Harris said, adding that some prospective campers already are getting refunds. “We would like to have to not continue doing that.”

Sebago Lake State Park, opened in 1938, is located on Maine’s second largest and its deepest lake. The 250-site campground is a traditional favorite vacation spot for families. Last year, there were more than 91,500 camping nights spent at the campground, and about 165,000 people visited the park for day use.

On Tuesday, MDOC staff members were hard at work cleaning up large, downed trees along the beachfront and in the campground. A team of six Maine Conservation Corps members, who are skilled trail builders, were deployed from another project at Grafton Notch State Park and were sent to Sebago to help out, Harris said.

The Maine Forest Service (MFS) sent a crew of four forest rangers, plus the Forest Protection Division’s chipper and chipper truck, to help with the cleanup.

Harris said BPL and the park staff were very grateful for the support of the MFS and MCC in helping at the park. He said their work was instrumental in getting Sebago cleared out and up and running again.

Wearing protective gear and using hand signals, MFS Laborer Ryan Doyon directed two crew members, Park Rangers Dan Ross and Jake Rideout, who were working backhoes and lifting heavy tree trunks into the chipper. By noon, about 8 tons of wood chips had been made, Doyon said.

The forest ranger said he usually works with MFS “Firewise” Communities – those communities that take part in the forest service’s program to reduce the chance of wildfires spreading to residential areas. “This is definitely a lot more to do in a small area,” Doyon said.

Campground hosts Don and Eileen Messier of Standish have made Sebago their summer home for the past four years. In return for taking care of one of the bathhouses, they receive a free camp site for their camper.

“We live here all summer,” Eileen Messier said. “Sunday night, no one was here at all,” the campground host said, adding that park staff asked them to leave for their safety.

On Tuesday, the couple had returned and were cleaning up tree debris and limbs from around the campground and bathhouse, moving wood to the camp road for the chipper and burning debris in their fire pit.

“Look at my tomatoes,” Don Messier said, pointing to his potted tomato bushes by the side of the camper. “They made it through the storm. I laid them on the ground.”

For more information about Maine state parks, go to: www.parksandlands.com.