News Release

Katahdin Woods and Waters Proposes a Programmatic Agreement with the Maine State Historic Preservation Office and Tribes

Date: February 21, 2024
Contact: Mark Wimmer, 207-456-6001

The public is invited to comment on a proposed draft programmatic agreement between Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and both the Maine State Historic Preservation Officer and four Native American tribes. The 30-day comment period begins on February 20 and concludes on March 20, 2024. The draft agreement and instructions on how to comment may be found online at the Planning, Environment and Public Comment website.

Each spring, employees at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument grade roads and parking areas, replace failed culverts and service toilets to welcome an expected 40,000+ annual visitors. Planning for this work starts every fall and includes documentation to disclose the environmental impacts of these actions to the public, Tribes, and partners.

In compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, among other laws and policies, monument staff want to make the process more efficient by disclosing expected actions in a programmatic agreement with the State Historic Preservation Officer and Tribes. This agreement would disclose regular maintenance activities, ensuring the protection of the monument resources while we facilitate needed maintenance activities to happen in the spring.

The National Historic Preservation Act is a comprehensive law that preserves the historical and cultural foundations of our nation’s history. Section 106 of the Act requires federal agencies to consider how the projects they are funding, implementing or licensing may affect historic properties, such as buildings, archeological sites and landscapes. To do this, federal agencies must inventory their historic properties.

Katahdin Woods and Waters, dedicated in 2016, is only beginning to inventory its 87,000 acres and 300 miles of road. As a result, monument staff consult with the Maine State Historic Preservation Officer and four Native American Tribes to work through the Section 106 process. This is true even though all parties agree that many of the ongoing projects, like road grading, are unlikely to affect historic properties.

Over the past year, the monument has worked closely with the Tribes and the State of Maine to develop a more streamlined approach to Section 106 compliance. This streamlined approach would allow certain categories of work to move forward without extensive review if certain conditions are met. The monument expects believes that this will be a win/win situation. Work can begin earlier each spring and historic resources will receive the protection they deserve.

As required by policy, prior to entering into a programmatic agreement, the National Park Service is asking the public to comment on the draft agreement. The 30-day public comment period begins on February 20, 2024, and ends on March 20, 2024. Instructions on how to comment and the draft agreement can be found online at the Planning, Environment and Public Comment website. To learn more about Section 106 and how you can make a difference, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the agency that oversees the administration of the Section 106 process, has produced a Citizen’s Guide to Section 106.

 

www.nps.gov