Maine lawmakers concerned about Katahdin Region national monument designation

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) and Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME) sent a letter to President Obama on Monday expressing concern about the potential designation of land as a national monument in the Katahdin Region.

“We understand that you are considering using your executive power under the Antiquities Act to designate unilaterally as a national monument more than 100,000 acres of what is currently privately owned land in northern Maine and write to express our serious reservations and significant concerns about such a proposal,” Collins, King and Poliquin wrote.

Elliotsville Plantation Inc. (EPI), the land’s owner, has expressly said that it would like to donate its Katahdin Region land to the federal government to establish a national park and national recreation area, which would require and act of Congress.

“The president of EPI’s board, Mr. Lucas St. Clair, has recently informed us that he is in discussions with the Department of Interior to bypass Congress to seek a national monument designation,” the letter said. “This concerns us because residents in the Katahdin Region have the most to gain or lose from federal land encroaching on their doorstep, and it is clear that deep divisions remain.

“While we acknowledge the right of private land owners to donate their land, we have serious concerns about the executive branch using its power to unilaterally designate a national monument in our state. Mainers have a long and proud history of private land ownership, independence, and local control, and do not take lightly any forced action by the federal government to increase its footprint in our state.”

According to the letter, EPI has spent years building local support to establish a national park and national recreation area on its land. As a result of the designation and projected boost to tourism, jobs would be returned to an area heavily hit by the closure of its paper mills.

“Local chambers of commerce support this opportunity and cite economic studies which point to job creation around other national parks across the country,” the letter said. “In a recent poll, the idea of a national park was supported by roughly 60 percent of Mainers.

“We cannot underscore enough the importance of bringing new economic development to this severely economically depressed region of Maine. A national monument designation, however, would likely antagonize already divided local communities. The future of EPI’s property is just one part of a greater need to improve economic opportunity in the Katahdin Region. To that end, we request the full assistance of the federal government to identify and secure funding for economic development activities through the Economic Development Assistance Program and other manufacturing programs that could help the forest products industry and other entrepreneurs in the area. Specifically, we seek financial support for research to back the development and use of wood products and fibers, advanced engineering projects that use wood, and support for policies that will create strong markets for wood products. Our many discussions with local residents and businesses have deepened our understanding of the viewpoints and needs of the Katahdin Region.”