About 11,000 Acres of Ancestral Homeland Return to the Penobscot Nation in Maine

About 11,000 acres of forest and river land in Maine have been returned to the Penobscot Nation, the first phase of a larger transfer from the Trust for Public Land, according to reporting by Maine Public on September 17, 2026.

The land lies around the Penobscot River, just south of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The Trust for Public Land bought the tract from timber harvesters after it came up for sale more than three years ago, and it is working with the tribe to raise the money for the full buyback.

What happens next

The whole project covers around 30,000 acres. The remaining land is set to be transferred once an additional $12 million is raised.

The tribe's plans for the property include:

• Restoring habitat around the waterways
• Tracking ticks and monitoring bat species
• Giving tribal members access to the land for hunting, harvesting and economic development

The tribe is also considering a possible access road through the property toward the national monument, which currently has no southern entrance. Chuck Loring, the Penobscot Nation's Natural Resource Director, described that as a long-term idea with many details still to be worked out.

Why it matters

Loring said the land "holds cultural significance to the tribe," and noted that owning it gives tribes real autonomy over how it is managed. Betsy Cook of the Trust for Public Land pointed out that conservation groups have historically left tribal nations and Indigenous communities out of decision-making, and returns like this one aim to change that pattern.

Context

The first phase is done, but the second is not guaranteed: the rest of the land depends on the fundraising goal being met. For now, thousands of acres along one of Maine's best-known rivers are back in the hands of the people who have lived beside it for generations.