The 11,297‑acre parcel sits just south of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, stretching roughly the size of Portland and encompassing 15 miles of cold‑water streams, 865 acres of ponds and wetlands, and habitat for Atlantic salmon, brook trout and moose.
The Trust for Public Land, which bought the land from timber harvesters three years ago, is partnering with the Penobscot to raise the $32.5 million needed to complete the larger return of over 30,000 acres. To date, $20.7 million has been secured, leaving a $12 million shortfall that the organization hopes to fill by the end of 2027.
For the Penobscot, ownership is a leap from advisory status to stewardship authority. Natural Resources Director Chuck Loring said the tribe will actively manage the area, restoring waterways, monitoring ticks and bats, and opening hunting and harvesting opportunities that could spur economic development.
The land return may also pave the way for a southern access route into Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Though the proposal remains in early design, the Trust foresees a 4‑mile corridor that would link Millinocket to the monument, potentially boosting tourism and local businesses.
This project is a chapter in a larger Wabanaki land‑return effort, where four federally recognized tribes and seven conservation groups aim to restore more than 50,000 acres. The Penobscot currently steward 140,000 acres, yet only about 1 % of their ancestral territory remains in Maine.
With the September transfer complete, the partners will shift focus to financing the remaining phases and to formalizing management plans. The next milestone is a public hearing scheduled for March 2027, after which the Trust will finalize the remaining $12 million and begin the second tranche of land restitution.