Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Access Act

This bill aims to improve access to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine. It lets the Interior Department add nearby lands to the monument if landowners are willing to sell, donate, or trade. No eminent domain is allowed. Any land added becomes part of the monument, and the boundary is adjusted to match. The monument will continue to be managed under existing monument rules and National Park System laws .

If hunting, fishing, or other outdoor activities were already allowed on newly added land, they can continue, as long as they fit the monument’s management rules. The public may gather fiddlehead ferns by hand for personal use, but this can be limited to protect resources. The bill also calls for public education with local communities and Tribal governments about the area’s natural environment and land use history, allows noncommercial timber harvests when needed, protects existing access rights (like access to remove timber outside the monument), and requires safety steps so visitors and logging trucks can share nearby roads safely. The Interior Department may acquire up to 10 acres near the monument for offices or visitor services and can partner with Maine, Tribes, local governments, or private groups to create an information center .

• Who is affected: local landowners, visitors, hunters and anglers, nearby communities, Tribal governments, and logging/trucking operations .
• What changes: possible addition of nearby lands (willing sellers only); continued traditional recreation on added lands; personal fiddlehead gathering allowed with limits; safety measures on roads; small land purchase for admin and visitor services; partnerships for an info center .
• When it applies: as lands are acquired and as the agency implements education, safety, and facility steps under the bill .