In this Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017 photo, the Penobscot River’s East Branch flows through the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument near Patten, Maine. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wants to retain the newly created Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in northern Maine, but said he might recommend adjustments to the White House on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017.
AP
In this Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017 photo, a youngster explores the Penobscot River’s East Branch at the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument near Patten, Maine. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wants to retain the newly created Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in northern Maine, but said he might recommend adjustments to the White House on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
AP
PORTLAND (AP) — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wants to retain the newly created Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in northern Maine, but he might recommend adjustments to the White House.
Zinke told The Associated Press that he’s not recommending removal of any of the 27 monuments under review but said some could be changed. The news gives supporters something to cheer, but the prospect of changes creates some uncertainty. Details on what changes, if any, are proposed for the Maine monument weren’t immediately available.
His recommendation the 87,500-acre (35,410-hectare) monument came a year to the day that then-President Barack Obama formally announced the land designation.
The review also included the nation’s first Atlantic Ocean undersea marine monument, something that’s supported by environmentalists but opposed by many New England fishermen.
President Donald Trump has accused previous administrations of turning a 1906 law that lets the president protect federal land into a “massive federal land grab.”
In Maine, the monument run by the National Park Service is supported by a majority of the congressional delegation and a growing number of residents who see a potential economic boost from tourism.
But Republican Gov. Paul LePage is vehemently opposed, saying federal ownership could stymie economic development in the region. He even went so far as to prevent state workers from installing road signs to direct motorists to the property.
The land, to the east of Baxter State Park, includes the East Branch of the Penobscot River and stunning views of Maine’s tallest mountain, Katahdin.
The land is cherished by Native Americans and its history includes visits by naturalist Henry David Thoreau and President Theodore Roosevelt.
The property was donated by a foundation created by entrepreneur and conservationists Roxanne Quimby, co-founder of Burt’s Bees. Her foundation also created a $40 million endowment to support the monument.
In June, Zinke visited the land and did some hiking and paddling. He declared that the woodlands and streams were “beautiful,” thanked the Quimby family for the donation and said he was confident there was a path forward.
Zinke’s recommendation isn’t the final word, however. The White House will decide whether to take action on the monuments.
Whether a national monument can be undone by Trump is unclear. The Antiquities Act of 1906 doesn’t give the president power to undo a designation, and no president has ever tried. However, changes could be made to the monuments.
In Maine, deed stipulations could limit the types of changes. For example, the stipulations require the National Park Service to control the land, said Lucas St. Clair, son of Quimby, who’s the public face for the effort.
Many local residents opposed Quimby’s plan to donate the land. But some attitudes changed as paper mills in nearby Millinocket and East Millinocket closed.
More residents are now more open to federal ownership of the land, hoping that a bump in visitors could provide an economic jolt to the region.
Quimby began buying the timberland in the 1990s with earnings from the Burt’s Bees line of natural care products. She initially aimed for a national park designation, but that would have required an act of Congress. The national monument designation required only executive action by the president.
Many national parks like Maine’s Acadia National Park and the Grand Canyon National Park started with monument status.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
