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

More than a century after losing it, the Penobscot Nation in Maine has had 11,297 acres of forest land returned to its control. The land transfer, scheduled for September 2026, represents the initial phase of a larger initiative to restore over 30,000 acres of ancestral homelands to the tribe.

The restoration project was launched in 2023 with a target of raising $32.5 million to facilitate the land return. To date, organizers have successfully secured $20.7 million toward that fundraising goal.