Private Philanthropy Creates a Public Protected Area (Again)

President Barack Obama today designated the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in central Maine, creating America's 413th national park. The 35,400 hectare area is nearly twice the size of Acadia, the other big national park in Maine. The new national monument protects forests tracks adjacent to Maine's largest protected area, Baxter State Park, while allowing tradtional uses of fishing, hunting, hiking, snowmobiling and mountain biking in some sections. The land, plus an endowment to manage it, was donated by philanthropist and entrepreneur Roxanne Quimby. Katahdin joins a significant group of national parks created largely or entirely by donation, including Acadia, Grand Teton, Virgin Islands, and the first, Muir Woods in California.