Congress is considering a bill introduced by Senator Angus King that would create a southern access point to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
King introduced similar legislation two years ago that would have added roughly 42,000 acres to the existing monument. The latest proposal would add just 2,500 acres, just enough to better connect the monument with Millinocket.
"What this bill does is provide access. It's essentially a road, either ownership of the road or a right of way, not significant additional land added to the size of the national park. We're talking about access, not additions to the acreage of the monument," King said.
King said the acquisition was scaled back at the request of Trust for Public Lands, which owns much of the acreage and wants to transfer some of it to the Penobscot Nation for a working forest.
The legislation would give the National Park Service permission to acquire land from willing landowners and donors, and includes protections to ensure that logging, hunting and other outdoor activities are allowed to continue.
