Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
| Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument | |
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IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)
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| Location | North Central Maine, United States |
| Nearest city | Bangor |
| Coordinates | 45°58′13″N 68°37′10″W / 45.970362°N 68.619336°WCoordinates: 45°58′13″N 68°37′10″W / 45.970362°N 68.619336°W |
| Area | 87,563 acres (35,435 ha) |
| Established | Monument: August 24, 2016 |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument |
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is a U.S. National Monument spanning 87,563 acres (35,435 ha) of mountains and wilderness in the North Maine Woods area of north-central Maine, including a section of the East Branch Penobscot River. All of the monument lands border the eastern side of Baxter State Park, and are located in Penobscot County.
Roxanne Quimby, the co-founder of Burt's Bees, and her foundation, Elliotsville Plantation, Inc., began purchasing land near Baxter State Park in 2001 before formally announcing their plans in 2011 that the land would one day become part of a national park. However, following opposition by state and federal politicians to the creation of a national park, Quimby changed her focus to a national monument, which could be created with a proclamation by the president under the Antiquities Act. On August 23, 2016 Elliotsville Plantation and the Quimby Family Foundation donated the land (valued at $60 million) and $20 million to fund initial operations and a commitment of $20 million in future support to the United States federal government. On August 24, 2016, the eve of the National Park Service centennial, President Barack Obama proclaimed 87,563 acres (35,435 ha) of land as the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
A minority of people opposed the monument, with some concerned about federal intrusion of the lands of Northern Maine. One of the most vocal opponents to the creation of the National Monument has been Governor Paul LePage who called the monument “unilateral action against the will of the people, this time the citizens of rural Maine.”
It has been suggested that President Donald Trump could act to reverse the creation of the Monument, a move local opponents would like him to consider. Trump was critical of the Monument's creation during campaign appearances in Maine. A President has never reversed the creation of a predecessor's Monument, and an opinion written by the U.S. Attorney General in 1938 suggests a President may not do so. Supporters of the Monument called such a so-far hypothetical abolition a "destructive step".
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