In Partnership toward Conservation

As director of natural resources for the Penobscot Nation, Charles “Chuck” Loring Jr. has a lot on his plate. Lately, he’s been working with Trust for Public Land toward restoring nearly 30,000 acres to the Penobscot Nation—acres that are central to his tribe’s identity. When achieved, it will be the largest land return between a U.S.-based nonprofit and a tribal nation in history.

Protecting this land, called Wáhsehtәk^w by the Penobscot (and pronounced “WAH-seh-teg”), will ensure preservation and Indigenous stewardship of the tribe’s ancestral homelands and sacred waters. It will also greatly enhance public access to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, benefiting surrounding communities and enhancing the region’s outdoor recreation economy for years to come.

The Penobscot’s natural resources department oversees the management of these lands. Pretty consequential. But Chuck—who I’ve known for years as a fellow tribal member, a former high school classmate, and now, as a professional colleague— sees his role as an opportunity to be both an important voice for his people and a crucial partner to TPL. “The most significant challenge is fundraising,” he says. “There are not many federal programs that exist that work with the Penobscot Nation’s desire to gain back ancestral homelands.”

Many of us grew up within large families that take great pride in our tribe’s outdoor traditions. We are taught from a young age about hunting and fishing and, most importantly, that harvesting game is part of the balance and reciprocity of the relationship between all living things. These are core values for our people: sustainability, sustenance, respect, trust, and the knowledge that the health of the natural world is ingrained in everything.

Chuck Loring Jr. holds a striped bass caught on the Penobscot River. Photo: Joe “Hugga” Dana

Those values are reflected in the magnitude of what this project means for our tribe. Located in the heart of the Penobscot Nation’s territory, the land carries profound importance for our people, who rely heavily on the Penobscot River and consider it a valued member of our community. “We are looking at this as a significant landscape-scale restoration project where we can let the forests heal from their previous industrial uses and focus on improving fish habitat, as well,” says Chuck.

But this partnership with Trust for Public Land to regain our ancestral land is not just about restoration and growth. It is about healing. The lands heal from generations of misuse. The Penobscot people heal from generations of theft and disruption of connection to these places of our creation stories. When we can harvest game and medicine or do ceremony in sacred places where our ancestors did these same things, our connection is restored, and our communities and families are given new life. Our tribe finds a great amount of joy and hope in what this collaborative land return means.

“This land back work is some of the most rewarding and important work I’ve been involved in,” says Chuck, who also serves as an advocate for our tribal administration and councilors. He sees its value on a regular basis: “I haven’t met with a single tribal citizen whose eyes didn’t light up at the prospect of us gaining back the Wáhsehtәk^w parcel,” he reflects.

I haven’t met with a single tribal citizen whose eyes didn’t light up at the prospect of us gaining back the Wáhsehtәk^w parcel.”

– Chuck Loring Jr., Penobscot Nation Director of Natural Resources

Canoeing on Trout Pond in Maine, where we’re working to restore nearly 30,000 acres to the Penobscot Nation. Photo: Chris Bennett

Chuck finds himself focused on the sacredness of the land itself and what it means to protect it; for him, it’s an opportunity to practice that same reciprocity that comes from being in balance with nature—a reciprocity he learned about as a boy, sitting in the forest, feeling the breeze, and appreciating the peace and stillness of the hunt.

Now, as a key spokesperson for TPL’s Wáhsehtәk^w land back effort, Chuck gets to weave together his life experience as a Penobscot tribal citizen and his education in forest operations. “As a tribe that relies on sustainable timber harvesting for our main source of income, Wáhsehtәk^w affords us more opportunities now and in the future to provide for our people’s needs while also returning our ancestors’ land into our care,” he says with enthusiasm. “We once had claim to all of this land, which ultimately dwindled,” he continues. “We held that land in our minds in perpetuity. We are not your typical landowner. We have no record of development of any of our current lands; we are not a threat to shoreland or wetlands. We are responsible stewards, guided by our ancestors, elders, chief, and council to do the right thing by our land for our people.”

Learn more about our tribal and Indigenous lands work.

It’s a sentiment shared by many members of our community. Diane Regas, TPL’s former president and CEO, agrees: “Trust for Public Land recognizes the profound and vital significance of returning land,” she says. “It’s not just an isolated act, but a deep acknowledgment and reaffirmation of a timeless bond, a rich history, and a promising future.”

Though there are certainly obstacles to progress, our tribe is cautiously optimistic and hopes that through storytelling and cultural exchanges, we can fully express to potential funders and supporters how much this land means to our people—past, present, and beyond.

And as a father to a young daughter, Chuck is certainly looking ahead. He feels a responsibility to make things better, just as his family felt while he sat as boy in a hunting stand, listening to the forest and the lessons of our ancestors carried on the breeze.

Maulian Bryant has been Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador since 2017. She is working closely with TPL’s Federal Affairs team to help identify funding sources for the Wáhsehtәk^w land return.