The U.S. Department of Interior has announced that it will be reviewing Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument through a 60-day public comment period starting May 12.
In a press release, the Interior Department says it will review the designation to determine whether it was “made without adequate public outreach and coordination with relevant stakeholders.”
Katahdin Woods and Waters is one of 27 national monuments it’s reviewing under a presidential order.
Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who opposes the monument, tweeted his approval.
Lucas St. Clair, the public face of the monument effort in Maine, disputed the notion that the public wasn’t consulted. He said he’s confident that a fair and transparent review “will demonstrate how important public input was to helping improve the monument idea.”
The reviews were expected under an executive order issued last month by President Donald Trump, but the White House had not released a list of specific projects.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
