AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Gov. Paul LePage has rescinded a 2011 executive order that sought to promote cooperation between the state and American Indian tribes.

Tribal leaders told the Portland Press Herald that the governor’s decision won’t have a significant practical impact because, for the most part, the order was never implemented. But Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis said it does “nothing but fuel an already volatile relationship.”

The order directed state agencies and departments to create policies recognizing the sovereignty of the tribes, among other things.

Peter Steele, a spokesman for LePage, told The Associated Press that the governor rescinded the order because his efforts to “promote collaboration and communication with the tribes have proved unproductive.” He said Maine’s “interests have not been respected” in the relationships between the state and tribes.