The singular case of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
The president of the United States has directed to the Secretary of the Interior to review some 27 national monuments created over the past two decades under the Antiquities Act of 1906. Many of the arguments against such designations revolve (erroneously) around the federal government “taking” of land and the opinion by some that state and local governments, residents, and businesses are in much better positions to determine that how such land should be managed. This opinion piece, however, looks at a different and unique issue: the creation of Katahdin Woods and Waters Monument in Maine. In contrast to presidents naming areas of land in existing federal control as national monuments, Katahdin Woods was created through the donation of private land to the federal government for its protection.
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By Richard Powers
The New York Times
June 16, 2017