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LePage Pledges to ‘Do Everything in My Power’ to Undo National Monument

At his town meeting in North Berwick Wednesday night, Gov. Paul LePage blasted President Barack Obama for using his executive power to create the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in northern Maine.

“I am going to do everything in my power to have the next president reverse this decision,” he says.

LePage intimated he would have more luck doing that if Donald Trump is elected. He says Obama went against area opinion and a resolution from the Legislature opposing creation of the monument, and that the designation is a bad idea that will limit recreational use and hunting on the new federal land.

“Legislature did a resolution saying we didn’t want another park in the North Woods. And the President simply used the executive powers to put a national monument,” he says. “It’s going to take away hunting. Snowmobile — oh you might have a little snowmobiling or hunting in a few areas, but the majority is off limits.”

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.