While lawmakers in Utah were hoping the Trump administration would overturn the designation of Bears Ears National Monument in their state, no such move is expected against Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine, according to Lucas St. Clair.
Mr. St. Clair, whose family through its Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. arm donated the land for Katahdin Woods and Waters, said last week that opposition to the monument in Maine was dying down.
"They've actually really completely turned the page and are thrilled about the direction that the community is going in and the uptick in visitation that has been experienced so far," he said. "Even the most conservative congressman whose district the monument is in is resigned to the fact that it's working. They're not going to do anything to change it.
"This was an ongoing debate for over 20 years. At the end of the day, we were the landowners, and so this is an outcome that everyone agreed on. It's having a lot of benefits for the community. One of those benefits is the fact that a decision was finally made and people can start planning for the future," continued Mr. St. Clair. "No one, especially a member of Congress, wants to be the person who opens those wounds back up. That's exactly what would happen if they tried to undo it. And there's also the legal complexities of this monument being a land transfer and all of the challenges with the deeds and indemnification and the agreement between the Park Service and (Elliotsville Plantation, Inc.) and the Department of Interior. They're all very intertwined. It would be virtually impossible unless they were to violate contractual law to undo it, so I think people recognize that as well."
At the monument, Park Service officials are continuing to work on a management plan. They've held a number of public comment meetings and are reviewing the comments before having another round of meetings.
While that administrative work continues, EPI staff are grooming ski and snowmobile trails in the monument and maintaining and managing backcountry huts through a special use permit obtained through the Park Service, said Mr. St. Clair.
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Comments
So excited to see articles like this giving those of us who have worked for the establishment of KW&W National Monument realization of our dreams!
Funny photo caption at bottom - though snowmobiling may indeed be popular, the photo depicts a snowmobile and operator busily grooming a cross-country ski trail!