Lucas St. Clair

I had the privilege last night, at Coastal Mountains Land Trust's annual party for our major donors, to introduce Lucas St. Clair as guest speaker. Lucas is the public face in front of, and the driving force behind, the establishment of Maine's newest national preserve Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, signed into law by President Obama on August 24, 2016. A president with a somewhat different agenda is currently reviewing the monument's status for modification or even nullification of its existence.

We were happy to hear Lucas say that even if Interior Secretary Zinke caves in to political pressure, i.e., Trump throws a sop to Maine's sophomoric governor Paul LePage, no president has the legal right to un-establish such a monument. Congress does - and with Congress in gridlock, it's highly unlikely to pursue such an action. The courts offer a further protection.

So to KWW's 87,500 acres of forest and plain, mountains and valleys, river and ponds, moose and bear: long may you inspire!