II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4209 

To provide greater regional access to the Katahdin Woods and Waters 

National Monument in the State of Maine, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 30, 2024 

Mr. KING introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To provide greater regional access to the Katahdin Woods 

and Waters National Monument in the State of Maine, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Katahdin Woods and 

5 Waters National Monument Access Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) AUTHORIZED ACQUISITION AREA.—The 

9 term ‘‘authorized acquisition area’’ means the des10 ignated area outside the boundary of the National 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•S 4209 IS

1 Monument depicted as ‘‘Authorized Acquisition 

2 Area’’ on the map entitled ‘‘Katahdin Woods and 

3 Waters National Monument Proposed Boundary Ad4 justment’’, numbered 686/193,181 and dated March 

5 2024. 

6 (2) NATIONAL MONUMENT.—The term ‘‘Na7 tional Monument’’ means the Katahdin Woods and 

8 Waters National Monument in the State of Maine 

9 established by the Proclamation. 

10 (3) PROCLAMATION.—The term ‘‘Proclama11 tion’’ means Presidential Proclamation Number 

12 9476, dated August 24, 2016 (54 U.S.C. 320301 

13 note). 

14 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

15 the Secretary of the Interior. 

16 SEC. 3. ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL LAND FOR NATIONAL 

17 MONUMENT. 

18 (a) BOUNDARY.—The boundaries of the National 

19 Monument shall be the boundaries established by the 

20 Proclamation. 

21 (b) ACQUISITION.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 

23 the Secretary may acquire, by purchase from a will24 ing seller, donation, or exchange, land or interests in 

25 land within the authorized acquisition area. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•S 4209 IS

1 (2) PROHIBITION ON USE OF EMINENT DO2 MAIN.—Nothing in this Act authorizes the use of 

3 eminent domain to acquire land or an interest in 

4 land. 

5 (c) TREATMENT OF ACQUIRED LAND; BOUNDARY

6 ADJUSTMENT.—On acquisition by the Secretary of any 

7 land pursuant to subsection (b)— 

8 (1) the land shall be included in the National 

9 Monument; and 

10 (2) the boundaries of the National Monument 

11 shall be adjusted accordingly. 

12 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF NATIONAL MONUMENT. 

13 (a) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall admin14 ister the National Monument (including the land added 

15 to the National Monument under this Act) in accordance 

16 with— 

17 (1) this Act; 

18 (2) the Proclamation; and 

19 (3) the laws generally applicable to units of the 

20 National Park System. 

21 (b) HUNTING, FISHING, AND OUTDOOR RECREATION

22 ON ACQUIRED LAND.—The Secretary shall allow hunting, 

23 fishing, or any other outdoor recreation activity on land 

24 acquired pursuant to section 3(b)— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•S 4209 IS

1 (1) if that activity was in existence on the day 

2 before the date of acquisition of the land; and 

3 (2) consistent with the management of that ac4 tivity under the Proclamation. 

5 (c) COLLECTION OF FIDDLEHEAD FERNS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 

7 the Secretary shall allow the gathering by hand of 

8 fiddlehead ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) in the 

9 National Monument for noncommercial personal use 

10 and consumption by the general public. 

11 (2) LIMITATION.—If the Secretary determines 

12 that the gathering of fiddlehead ferns (Matteuccia 

13 struthiopteris) under paragraph (1) may adversely 

14 affect resources of the National Monument, the Sec15 retary may limit the gathering of fiddlehead ferns 

16 (Matteuccia struthiopteris) under that paragraph in 

17 accordance with applicable regulations. 

18 (d) PUBLIC EDUCATION.—In accordance with the 

19 mission of the National Park Service, the Secretary shall 

20 collaborate with local communities and Tribal govern21 ments to educate the public regarding the natural environ22 ment and history of land management in the National 

23 Monument, including the shaping of that landscape by Na24 tive communities and practices, successive generations of 

25 timber management, and other activities. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•S 4209 IS

1 (e) FORESTRY.—In accordance with the management 

2 plan for the National Monument, the Secretary may con3 duct such noncommercial timber harvests as the Secretary 

4 determines to be necessary. 

5 (f) PROTECTION OF EXISTING ACCESS.—Nothing in 

6 this Act affects valid existing rights, including existing 

7 rights of access through the National Monument for the 

8 removal of timber outside the boundaries of the National 

9 Monument. 

10 (g) PUBLIC SAFETY.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 

12 to the public appropriate safety education and notifi13 cation materials to ensure safe interactions between 

14 visitors and logging trucks, equipment, and oper15 ations on roads in or adjacent to the National 

16 Monument. 

17 (2) PROCEDURES.—The Secretary shall collabo18 rate with affected stakeholders to establish proce19 dures to meet the needs of visitors to the National 

20 Monument, logging and trucking operations, and 

21 other users of roads in or adjacent to the National 

22 Monument to ensure safe interactions between active 

23 logging operations and visitors. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•S 4209 IS

1 SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE SITES AND VISITOR FACILITIES. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—To facilitate the administration of 

3 the National Monument, the Secretary may acquire, by 

4 purchase from a willing seller, donation, or exchange, not 

5 more than 10 acres of land or interests in land, including 

6 improvements, for the administration of the National 

7 Monument and visitor services outside the boundaries, but 

8 within the vicinity, of the National Monument. 

9 (b) AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary may enter into 

10 agreements with State of Maine, units of Tribal or local 

11 government, or private entities— 

12 (1) to carry out this section; and 

13 (2) to develop a cooperative information center 

14 for the National Monument. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB