Gene Gurewicz of Millinocket stands by his pickup truck at the Katahdin Region Higher Education Center in East Millinocket as he waits to hear National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis take comments from local town council members concerning a proposed national monument on Monday. Kevin Bennett Photo

John Johnson, left, of Millinocket, wears a shirt that expresses his stance on a proposed Maine North Woods national monument as he chats with Austin Pierson of Greenville shortly before National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis arrived in East Millinocket for a meeting with town council members from the area.

Audience members applaud an anti-national monument comment from a selectman during a meeting with local officials and residents and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis in East Millinocket on Monday.

National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis speaks to Katahdin-area officials and members of the public during a meeting in East Millinocket on Monday.

Supporters of a proposed North Woods national monument, Kate Rush, John and Susan Burgess, all of Newport, applaud as fellow supporters address National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis during a public comment meeting at the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono on Monday.

Supporters of a proposed North Woods national monument line up at a microphone as they await their chance to speak for two minutes in favor of national monument or park Monday.

Roger Ek of Lee stands at the microphone used by opponents as he faces a full house mostly supporters of a proposed North Woods National Monument at the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono on Monday. Ek unfolded a map and spoke against the proposed park as National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis listened during a public comment meeting at the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono on Monday.