Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Home Secretary Ryan Zinke (second from right) inspects the sanctuary by canoe in 2017

River in the reserve

The Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is an American national monument in Penobscot County , Maine . It was designated by President Barack Obama by a Presidential Proclamation on August 24, 2016 with an area of 87,563 acres (35,435 hectares ). The National Monument was designated because of its nature and scientific and historical interest. The Baxter State Park borders the west directly to the National Monument. The protected area consists of a large main area and two smaller secondary areas.

Designation history and administration of the National Monument

Roxanne Quimby, co-founder and temporary sole owner of the US company Burt's Bees , and her foundation Elliotsville Plantation Inc. began purchasing properties east of Baxter State Park in 2001 . In 2011 she officially announced that the purchased land would one day become part of a national park . However, after opposition from state and federal politicians, especially the Republicans , to the creation of a national park, Quimby changed her focus to a national monument. While a national park is designated by law of the United States Congress , a national monument can also be made by Presidential Proclamation without the consent of Congress. On August 23, 2016, Elliotsville Plantation donated $ 60 million worth of land to the United States. In addition, there was an additional $ 20 million to fund the establishment of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and a commitment to provide an additional $ 20 million to the federal government as future support for the reserve. Republicans continued to protest after their expulsion. Paul LePage Governor of the state of Maine spoke of a unilateral action against the will of the people . On April 26, 2017, President Donald Trump, with Executive Order 13792, instructed the United States Department of the Interior to review the area of 27 National Monuments, which were designated after January 1, 1996 and are at least 100,000 hectares in size. In his final report from December 2017, Ryan Zinke recommended that President Trump reduce the area of six National Monuments, some of them large. At Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument , he only advised the management and development plans of the monument to be changed slightly.

It is under the administration of the National Park Service . Previous uses may continue to be exercised without hindrance.

People in the area

Indians lived in the area for 11,000 years. The Penobscot tribe and other tribes of the Wabanaki Confederation lived there. The first registered European exploration of the region took place in 1793 on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , to which Maine was still part. In 1820, the Maine government began surveying the land around what is now the National Monument. For over 100 years, from the early 18th to the late 19th centuries, logging was the main industry in the area.