ILRIS: benefits to current intiatives

Some of the most dramatic land-centric planning processes in Maine today - the Brunswick Naval Air Station realignment, Gateway1, the LURC Moosehead Lake Concept Plan - are proceeding without a current, public and accessible parcel basemap to guide them. In planning exercises where significant land issues are at stake, future scenarios can't seriously be considered in the absence of an accurate common operating picture of existing conditions. Built features, hydrography, transportation, demographics - all of these are certain to be considered. But public consideration of future division and fragmentation of property ownership should also be part of these discussions.

Increase, reduction and changing configuration of Maine's 720,000 property parcels are vital metrics for metering and modulating the future character of this State. It is important that we understand them properly.