118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4209 

AN ACT 

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, 
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†S 4209 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Waters National Monument Access Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) AUTHORIZED ACQUISITION AREA.—The 

7 term ‘‘authorized acquisition area’’ means the des8 ignated area outside the boundary of the National 

9 Monument depicted as ‘‘Authorized Acquisition 

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

11 Waters National Monument Proposed Boundary Ad12 justment’’, numbered 686/193,181 and dated March 

13 2024. 

14 (2) NATIONAL MONUMENT.—The term ‘‘Na15 tional Monument’’ means the Katahdin Woods and 

16 Waters National Monument in the State of Maine 

17 established by the Proclamation. 

18 (3) PROCLAMATION.—The term ‘‘Proclama19 tion’’ means Presidential Proclamation Number 

20 9476, dated August 24, 2016 (54 U.S.C. 320301 

21 note). 

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

23 the Secretary of the Interior. 
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1 SEC. 3. ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL LAND FOR NATIONAL 

2 MONUMENT. 

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

4 Monument shall be the boundaries established by the 

5 Proclamation. 

6 (b) ACQUISITION.— 

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

8 the Secretary may acquire, by purchase from a will9 ing seller, donation, or exchange, land or interests in 

10 land within the authorized acquisition area. 

11 (2) PROHIBITION ON USE OF EMINENT DO12 MAIN.—Nothing in this Act authorizes the use of 

13 eminent domain to acquire land or an interest in 

14 land. 

15 (c) TREATMENT OF ACQUIRED LAND; BOUNDARY

16 ADJUSTMENT.—On acquisition by the Secretary of any 

17 land pursuant to subsection (b)— 

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

19 Monument; and 

20 (2) the boundaries of the National Monument 

21 shall be adjusted accordingly. 

22 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF NATIONAL MONUMENT. 

23 (a) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall admin24 ister the National Monument (including the land added 

25 to the National Monument under this Act) in accordance 

26 with— 
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1 (1) this Act; 

2 (2) the Proclamation; and 

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

4 National Park System. 

5 (b) HUNTING, FISHING, AND OUTDOOR RECREATION

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

7 fishing, or any other outdoor recreation activity on land 

8 acquired pursuant to section 3(b)— 

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

10 before the date of acquisition of the land; and 

11 (2) consistent with the management of that ac12 tivity under the Proclamation. 

13 (c) COLLECTION OF FIDDLEHEAD FERNS.— 

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

15 the Secretary shall allow the gathering by hand of 

16 fiddlehead ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) in the 

17 National Monument for noncommercial personal use 

18 and consumption by the general public. 

19 (2) LIMITATION.—If the Secretary determines 

20 that the gathering of fiddlehead ferns (Matteuccia 

21 struthiopteris) under paragraph (1) may adversely 

22 affect resources of the National Monument, the Sec23 retary may limit the gathering of fiddlehead ferns 

24 (Matteuccia struthiopteris) under that paragraph in 

25 accordance with applicable regulations. 
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1 (d) PUBLIC EDUCATION.—In accordance with the 

2 mission of the National Park Service, the Secretary shall 

3 collaborate with local communities and Tribal govern4 ments to educate the public regarding the natural environ5 ment and history of land management in the National 

6 Monument, including the shaping of that landscape by Na7 tive communities and practices, successive generations of 

8 timber management, and other activities. 

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

10 plan for the National Monument, the Secretary may con11 duct such noncommercial timber harvests as the Secretary 

12 determines to be necessary. 

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

14 this Act affects valid existing rights, including existing 

15 rights of access through the National Monument for the 

16 removal of timber outside the boundaries of the National 

17 Monument. 

18 (g) PUBLIC SAFETY.— 

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

20 to the public appropriate safety education and notifi21 cation materials to ensure safe interactions between 

22 visitors and logging trucks, equipment, and oper23 ations on roads in or adjacent to the National 

24 Monument. 
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1 (2) PROCEDURES.—The Secretary shall collabo2 rate with affected stakeholders to establish proce3 dures to meet the needs of visitors to the National 

4 Monument, logging and trucking operations, and 

5 other users of roads in or adjacent to the National 

6 Monument to ensure safe interactions between active 

7 logging operations and visitors. 

8 SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE SITES AND VISITOR FACILITIES. 

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

10 the National Monument, the Secretary may acquire, by 

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

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

13 improvements, for the administration of the National 

14 Monument and visitor services outside the boundaries, but 

15 within the vicinity, of the National Monument. 

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

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

18 government, or private entities— 

19 (1) to carry out this section; and 
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1 (2) to develop a cooperative information center 

2 for the National Monument. 

Passed the Senate December 18 (legislative day, December 16), 2024. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4209 

AN ACT 

To provide greater regional access to the Katahdin 

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