Katahdin Woods and Waters

U.S. National Park Service

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is a U.S. National Monument spanning 87,563 acres (35,435 ha) of mountains and forestland in northern Penobscot County, Maine, including a section of the East Branch Penobscot River.

On August 24, 2016, President Barack Obama designated about 87,500 acres east of Baxter State Park as the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument (KWWNM).

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Nearly a year since Barack Obama designated more than 87,000 acres of wilderness in northern Maine as the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, supporters are contending with an existential question: Will it survive as a monument?

This monument preserves more than 87,500 acres along the East Branch of the Penobscot River in Maine, a traditional transportation corridor of the native Wabanaki people of the region, as well as a critical part of the area’s logging history, once used to float logs downstream to cities and towns. Vast forests surround the river with a diverse mix of tree species, including maple, oak, ash, beech, birch, aspen, spruce, fir and hemlock. The topography of the monument includes deep river valleys, dramatic flood plains and curious geologic features, including lava flows and “rock conglomerates” — formations made up of different types of Appalachian rock fragments dating back millions of years.

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And the man who led the drive to conserve 87,563 acres of the northern Maine woods.

“The exciting challenge was to create a map to help visitors safely navigate a national treasure that’s still in its infancy.”. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries from the Bangor Daily News.

Why you should put Katahdin Woods on your travel list.

Maine’s national monument will have an operating budget of about $400,000 — its highest yet — if Congress gives approval.. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries from the Bangor Daily News.

This kind of investment is rare, and we should seize the opportunity.. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries from the Bangor Daily News.

AMC is working to conserve Maine's North Woods. Learn more about our work in the region around the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and how to get involved.

They won't be installed before the monument's second anniversary Friday, but the process is underway, the superintendent says.

Piscataquis Observer