Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke will visit Maine’s national monument next week as part of a federal review of whether it was created legally, he said Thursday.
Speaking before the House Interior Appropriations Committee, Zinke discussed plans to visit Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, but didn’t mention the date.
“I can’t wait to see it. My understanding is that I am going to go canoeing, which is something that Maine is known for,” Zinke said in response to U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, who mentioned the visit.
Zinke said he will gauge residents’ feelings about the monument in the 9½ months since President Barack Obama signed an executive order creating it. Zinke will meet with members of the family of Burt’s Bees entrepreneur Roxanne Quimby, who donated the 87,562 acres east of Baxter State Park.
Zinke needs to know this when he visits Maine’s monument
As part of his review of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is coming to Maine on Tuesday. He wants to gain insight into the history of the monument, which will help him make a recommendation to the president that will shape the future of the Katahdin region, Maine and the nation.
The ongoing review of recent national monument designations and the possibility that the North Woods monument designation could be rescinded has cast a shadow over the region. The blame for this falls squarely on Gov. Paul LePage. Instead of working to ensure this new economic driver is successful — and this is a region that could use it — he told Congress the majority of Mainers oppose the monument; there was insufficient public outreach; there haven’t been economic benefits; the Katahdin region is infested with mosquitoes and, therefore, not worth visiting; and that Mainers are losing traditional recreation opportunities and livelihoods.
None of this is true.
Zinke needs to understand that any claim of insufficient public outreach is, to be frank, ridiculous, as anyone who has lived in Maine for the past five or 10 years knows. And those conversations, the monument and the negativity of this review directly affect me and my communities.
The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “Interior secretary to visit Maine’s national monument next week as part of review,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Nick Sambides Jr., please follow this link to the BDN online. To read the rest of “Zinke needs to know this when he visits Maine’s monument,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Rick Levesseur, please follow this link to the BDN online.
