LePage tells Obama to steer clear of national park debate

[jpak]

Source: Bangor Daily News

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage has sent letters to President Barack Obama and Maine’s congressional delegation to express opposition to proposals to apply national monument protections to federal land in the Gulf of Maine and land in the Millinocket area.

According to LePage, the federal government is considering new monument designations under the provisions of the Antiquities Act, which LePage suggests should be reformed. He argued that both monuments would harm Maine’s economy by putting some of its natural resources off-limits and suggested that one of the proposals — which is little more than rumor at this point — seeks to pursue a national park that has already been rejected by voters in East Millinocket and Medway.

“I am hearing more and more that national park proponents are considering seeking a national monument designation after their proposal was defeated at the polls in Medway and East Millinocket,” wrote LePage in an Aug. 28 letter to Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and Reps. Bruce Poliquin and Chellie Pingree. “A national monument designation makes Maine timber off limits to the forest products industry.”

As for a National Marine Monument in the Gulf of Maine, LePage signaled his opposition to Obama and requested information about the process moving forward.

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Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2015/08/31/politics/lepage-tells-obama-to-steer-clear-of-national-park-debate/

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Petulant Penguin Pouts

[SoapBox]

1. Screw off LePage.

You don't own the land that belongs to Americans.

[Sunlei]

2. More protections, President Obama of our beautiful public lands & waters & mountians & Wildlife

[friendly_iconoclast]

11. George Catlin! Nice...

[Sunlei]

14. I love his art, can piece together a lot of history from his art and writings. plants, wildlife,

He was out there right after Spain went though and painted some half breed kids, relics and a couple old mules had Spanish 'mission' brands.

[packman]

3. Damn trees cluttering up the land

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[1monster]

4. I"m all for more national monuments! Save that timber for future generations

to enjoy. Maine has enough woodlands open for harvesting already.

[HerbChestnut]

5. It's a hot button issue here in Maine.

People are either for or against a National Park for the types of reasons you would expect, but here's the reason I support it. First off, it's important to know that the timber industry is crucial to the economy of northern Maine. But the amount of land designated to become a national park is trivial, and the effect it will have on the local timber industry is minimal at best. In fact, economic studies have shown that a national park will have a net positive effect on the local economy of the area due to increased tourism and the dollars it will bring in. Secondly, the timber industry of Maine is in decline. International competition has made forest management in the state a low margin investment, the type of which only a few companies can operate in profitably. Installing a National Park is a way toward the future that will pre-emptively avert economic downfall, which in some areas is already happening.

That's it.

[lamp_shade]

10. Thanks for your important input.

[eppur_se_muova]

12. Thanks for that explanation.

I lived in ME for one year ... was astounded to see maps showing all the roads in the upper part of the state to be private roads, i.e. timber company roads.

[Sunlei]

15. There is very, little Federal Public Land left in Maine. It should all belong to the Public forever.

[blackspade]

6. Obama to LePage: Fuck off.

[MBS]

7. Wow, a national marine monument for the Gulf of Maine would be outstanding!

It has not only scenic value (a breathtakingly beautiful area), but it's a vital ecological resource -- important feeding grounds for whales, home to rich marine life generally. And it's one that periodically has to fend off daft schemes from Big Oil for giant LNG plants (in areas that make no navigational or economic sense, in addition to the ecological travesty).


A move like this would help protect the Gulf of Maine from greedy, short-sighted fools like LePage

Go, President Obama, GO!

[Scuba]

9. /\_/\_This_/\_/\

[Gormy Cuss]

8. Obama should make the Blaine house a national monument.

[tecelote]

13. Remember how Bush put it...

If we let the loggers go in and cut down all the trees we wouldn’t have a problem with forest fires.
- George W. Bush