President Barack Obama has named a new national monument in the northeastern state of Maine. Businesswoman Roxanne Quimby gave the 35,000 hectares of land to the government. The gift honored the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate” the anniversary. He called the land in Maine’s North Woods “extraordinary.” The Katahdin Woods and Waters monument includes the East Branch of the Penobscot River. From the land, Maine’s tallest mountain -- Katahdin -- can be seen. Many animals live on the land, including moose, black bears, coyotes, deer and bald eagles. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the gift would permit the area to “remain accessible to current and future generations of Americans, ensuring the rich history of Maine’s hunting, fishing and recreation heritage will forever be preserved.” Supporters of the monument say it will create hundreds of jobs in an area affected by the closing of paper factories. But opponents fear it will hurt efforts to rebuild a forest-based economy in the area. Earlier this year, the Maine state legislature said it opposed federal ownership of the land. Governor Paul LePage also opposed the creation of the monument. Lucas St. Clair is Roxanne Quimby’s son. He has led the efforts in recent years to create the monument. “Many parks over the history of the park system have been criticized upon creation,” he said. “But when we look to the future, we see huge amounts of success.”' Quimby began buying the land in the 1990s. She wanted it to be named a national park. But only Congress can create new parks. The president has the power to create national monuments without the approval of Congress. Many national parks -- including the Grand Canyon National Park -- were monuments before becoming parks. The land has a value of $60 million. Quimby gave 20 million to help care for it. She plans to help raise another 20 million for the effort within three years. I’m Caty Weaver. The Associated Press news agency reported this story from Portland, Maine. It was adapted for Learning English by Christopher Jones-Cruise. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story accessible - adj. able to be reached or approached heritage - n. the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation preserve - v. to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition
from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2bVuWzD
via IFTTT
الاشتراك في:
تعليقات الرسالة (Atom)
المشاركات الشائعة
-
As President of the United States, Donald Trump shakes a lot of hands. But look out. If you shake Trump’s hand, you might get pulled off y...
-
Even in the world of medicine, what is old is new again. Thousands of years ago, Egyptians used it to sterilize drinking water. Ancient Roma...
-
00:00:02 OPRAH WINFREY: "Hattie Mae, this child is gifted," and I heard that enough that I started to believe it. 00:00:08 ...
-
Zimbabwe wants small business to be able to get credit to start or grow a business. If the country’s Parliament approves a bill proposed l...
-
Olayemi Samson is a Nigerian entrepreneur. He is turning plastic waste into useful things like clothing, school bags, car covers and shoes...
-
from Voice of America https://ift.tt/2JX5szY via IFTTT
-
Learn from your hosts, Anne and Jonathan the meaning of momentous. from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2a2yXS4 via IFTTT
-
An unpublished United Nations report says that North Korea sent materials that could be used in chemical weapons to Syria and missile techno...
-
South Korea’s government proposed on Monday to hold military talks with North Korea to reduce tensions between the two countries. The South ...
-
Tensions between North and South Korea have increased sharply since the North’s announcement that it tested a nuclear weapon for the fourt...
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق