House approves bill to help Acadia

Legislation to allow Maine's Acadia National Park to acquire more land and build a visitor parking area outside the park has won approval in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Acadia Improvement Act was passed Tuesday as part of a larger environmental bill. The measure won Senate approval earlier this month and President Bush is expected to sign it.

The bill authorizes the park to spend $28 million on land purchases, although specific amounts must be requested in future spending bills.

It also allows the park to build a waiting area in Trenton, Maine, where visitors and commuters can park their cars and catch propane-fueled Island Explorer buses that serve Mount Desert Island.