The Trust for Public Land announced Wednesday it has purchased 31,367 acres adjacent to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument for $29.8 million from Conservation Resources, a timber investment management organization.

The nonprofit called the land a “critical puzzle piece” in providing a southern access to the national monument from the towns of East Millinocket or Millinocket.

The Trust for Public Land needs to raise $32 million over the next few years to pay off a loan needed for the land purchase and to pay for land management expenses and property taxes, along with other costs, said Rebecca Bullis, the trust’s communications manager.

The property will be open to public use, and the trust’s goal is for it to provide a southern entrance for the national monument.

Currently, the entrance to the national monument is in the southeast corner of the 87,500-acre wilderness area, but it takes an hour to reach Millinocket and East Millinocket, which are both an hour north of Bangor, located near an Interstate 95 exit.

In August, Sen. Angus King introduced legislation to help improve visitor access to Katahdin Woods and Waters. Co-sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins, the bill would allow the National Park Service to acquire land to create a new entrance at the southern portion of the monument.

“We are committed to working with partners to develop a long-term ownership plan that benefits communities connected to this land,” said Betsy Cook, the trust’s Maine state program director, in a news release.

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