11,297 acres returned to Maine’s Penobscot Nation after more than a century

A vast stretch of Maine forest has changed hands in a return more than a century in the making. On September 16, 2026, 11,297 acres surrounding the East Branch of the Penobscot River were returned to the Penobscot Nation, marking the first phase of a larger effort to restore more than 30,000 acres of ancestral homeland. The Trust for Public Land, which is partnering with the Penobscot Nation on the project, said the wider effort began in 2023 with a $32.5 million fundraising goal. So far, $20.7 million has been raised, with additional funding still needed to complete the remaining phases.A first step toward returning more than 30,000 acresThe 11,297-acre transfer is part of the Wáhsehtəkʷ land-return effort, named for the East Branch of the Penobscot River. The property lies near the base of Katahdin and just south of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.