‘Traditional uses’
Zinke would allow trees to be cut at Katahdin Woods and Waters
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wants to allow trees to be cut on parts of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and to ensure that “traditional uses” like snowmobiling and hunting are taken into account in a management plan that’s being drawn up.
But his recommendations including “active timber management” to promote healthy forest on the 87,500-acre property raised more questions than they answered.
Lucas St. Clair, whose family donated the land, said he’s pleased that the recommendation would keep the land intact and under control of the National Park Service. But he said he’s disappointed that it could negate compromises that took years to negotiate with local interests.
“We worked tirelessly for years to strike a balance,” St. Clair said Monday, noting that deeds allow for some hunting and that there are 51 kilometres of snowmobile trails.
All told, Zinke recommended that six of 27 national monuments under review by the Trump administration be reduced in size, with changes proposed to several others, including Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in northern Maine.
His recommendations are included in a memo sent to the president last month and leaked to news organizations including The Associated Press.
The administration will have the final say. Trump has referred to monuments created by past presidents as a “massive federal land grab.”
The Maine land consists of mountains, streams and ponds next to Baxter State Park, home of Mount Katahdin, the state’s tallest mountain. The land includes riverfront along the East Branch of the Penobscot River and stunning views of Katahdin.
For now, getting there is a challenge because there are no paved roads, and Republican Gov. Paul LePage, an opponent, hasn’t made it easier by refusing to allow signs to be placed on main highways including Interstate 95.
Even so, several dozen vehicles, some with licence plates from distant states, travelled the rustic loop road last weekend.
The land was donated by a foundation set up by Roxanne Quimby, co-founder of the Burt’s Bees line of personal care products.
St. Clair, Quimby’s son, said it was unclear in Zinke’s recommendation if he was referring to commercial logging or selective cutting to ensure a healthy forest. Much of the land was logged before Quimby bought it.
Marsha Donahue, owner of North Light Gallery, said it’s “preposterous” to suggest there’s a need for the land to be logged. There are 10 million acres in
Maine’s North Woods, and the monument land comprises a fraction of one per cent of the total, she said.
Many local residents initially opposed Quimby’s proposal, mostly because of distrust of the federal government and fears that federal regulations would stymie economic development centred on the wood products industry. But some attitudes changed as paper mills in nearby Millinocket and East Millinocket closed for unrelated reasons.
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.