- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Real Estate
The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians has acquired 1,327 acres along the north branch of the Meduxnekeag River in Monticello, Maine. The property borders the tribe’s Wilderness Pines Campground.
The acquisition by the federally recognized tribe resulted from a partnership with First Light and The Nature Conservancy. First Light, a collaborative initiative in Maine that connects conservation organizations with the state’s federally recognized Wabanaki tribes: the Houlton Band, Mi'kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and Passamaquoddy Tribe.
The acquisition concluded a two-year process to return the land to the Maliseet people, according to Susan Young, real estate/natural resources director for the Houlton Band.
First Light, The Nature Conservancy, and the Conservation Fund each contributed to this acquisition, though the amounts were not disclosed.
Young said the land provides the tribe direct access to 3.5 miles of river frontage on the North Branch of the Meduxnekaag River, which would aid in restoration efforts along the water.
“HBMI has been doing in-stream restoration in the North Branch to improve aquatic habitat for cold water fishes, especially Atlantic salmon that once called the Meduxnekeag River and its tributaries home,” Young said in a statement. “This parcel significantly adds to the tribe’s land holdings and represents the largest of the tribe’s woodlots.”
The parcel contains wild brook trout habitat, inland wading bird and waterfowl habitat, rare plant habitat and deer wintering areas, according to the Maine Natural Areas Program. It also includes black ash for basket making and other culturally significant plants.
"This parcel significantly adds to the tribe's land holdings and represents the largest of the tribe's woodlots," Young added.
Initial plans include expanding hunting, gathering and cultural activities for tribal citizens and increasing access from the Wilderness Pines Campground. Long-term management will focus on timber harvesting for forest health and potential tribal income.
The tribe indicated it plans to submit a fee-to-trust application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to convert this parcel to trust land, potentially opening federal avenues to conservation dollars and support.
The Houlton Band acquisition comes as several conservation groups in Maine work to return lands to Wabanaki tribes. Notably, the Trust for Public Land is seeking financing to support a 31,000-acre land return to the Penobscot Nation. When completed, the transfer to the Penobscot Nation would mark the largest single Native land back transaction in U.S. history, surpassing last year's 28,000-acre return to the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa in Minnesota. The Penobscot project would add significant wetlands, wildlife habitat and timber resources to the tribe's holdings
