This bill lets the Secretary of the Interior buy, accept as a donation, or exchange land or land interests from willing sellers inside a designated "authorized acquisition area" shown on a March 2024 map. The bill forbids using eminent domain. Land bought under the bill would be added into the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and the monument boundary would be adjusted.
The Secretary would manage the monument according to this Act, the original proclamation that created the monument, and laws that apply to National Park System units. Hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation would be allowed on newly acquired land if those activities existed the day before acquisition and are managed consistently with the proclamation. The Secretary must allow hand-gathering of fiddlehead ferns for noncommercial personal use, but may limit gathering if it would harm monument resources.
The bill directs the Secretary to work with local communities and Tribal governments on public education about the monument's natural environment and the history of land use, including Native shaping of the landscape and past timber management. The Secretary may carry out noncommercial timber harvests under the monument's management plan. Existing rights of access, including access for removing timber outside the monument, remain protected. The Secretary must provide safety education about interactions between visitors and logging trucks and work with stakeholders to set procedures for safe shared road use. The Secretary may also acquire up to 10 acres near the monument for administrative or visitor facilities and may enter agreements with State, Tribal, local, or private partners to develop a cooperative information center.
The bill allows purchases and the acquisition of up to 10 acres for administration, but it does not include funding sources, budget language, or cost estimates. No publicly available information.
According to the bill text and title, supporters seek to provide greater regional access to the monument by allowing voluntary land acquisitions and adjusting the boundary when land is added. The bill also aims to preserve existing recreation uses, allow hand-gathering of fiddleheads for personal use, permit noncommercial timber harvests under the management plan, improve public education about the land's history including Native practices, and increase visitor services and safety through small administrative sites and stakeholder cooperation.
No publicly available information.