The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is holding off, for now, designating part of Maine's High Peaks region in western Maine as a national wildlife refuge.
The agency has been considering the designation for a portion of roughly 200,000 acres, largely along the Appalachian Trail and home to several of the state's tallest mountains.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, along with U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, wrote to the service in August saying the wildlife refuge idea "does not have sufficient public support" and that local communities "have a strong history of protecting the land and depending on it."
The Fish and Wildlife Service responded Dec. 15 with a letter saying a pause "will provide further opportunity to better understand what role, if any, the Service could play to better support local conservation needs."
