Katahdin monument is ‘rock solid,’ interior secretary nominee says
Courtesy of YouTube
By Nick Sambides Jr., BDN Staff •
March 29, 2019 11:17 am
Maine’s national monument is in the parks system to stay, the acting U.
S. secretary of the interior said Thursday.
Under questioning from Maine Sen. Angus King during his confirmation hearing to become secretary of the interior, David Bernhardt allayed concerns about the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument’s status.
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“You’re rock solid. You’re rock solid today,” Berhhardt told King.
“The National Park Service is there. You are part of the park service.
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Bernhardt’s confirmation hearing took place nearly two weeks after a visit to Maine during which he discussed the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and Acadia National Park’s maintenance backlog with King and others.
Bernhardt had two meetings over 2½ hours at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife building in Bangor.
A comprehensive plan for the monument now being developed was one topic of discussion, as was the final version of an Acadia transportation plan that the park released Monday. Bernhardt also visited Acadia during his trip to Maine.
[Acadia unveils its new transportation plan]
The swamp-mask wearer visible in the background as Bernhardt answered questions from King was one of two mask-clad protesters who attended the hearing, according to USA Today. At least one was later escorted out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing after staging a silent protest for nearly two hours, The Hill reported.
Bernhardt has served as acting secretary since Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke departed the administration nearly two months ago under an ethics cloud. President Donald Trump nominated Bernhardt to the position permanently in early February.
King sought assurances about the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument’s status after the monument was included on a list of national monuments that might be scaled back or eliminated early in the Trump administration.
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