Resources

Gulf of Maine Library Collection

Maine State Planning Office. Exploring Limits: Making Decisions About the Use & Development of Maine’s Islands. Maine State Planning Office. April 1994. 85 pp.

Maine's coastal islands are special places to many of us-whether you live on one, are a regular or occasional visitor, or enjoy them from afar. These islands constitute a unique natural and cultural resource of state and national significance. However, people are concerned that the variety and intensity of human activities on and around the islands are beginning to threaten fragile island ecosystems and the unique quality of island life. Exploring Limits: Making Decisions About the Use and Development of Maine Islands is intended to be both a primer on understanding the limits on use and development of islands and a how-to guide for assessing certain elements that make up an island's carrying capacity. The publication is designed for people in island towns and towns with offshore islands, the State Land Use Regulation Commission, which regulates land use on several hundred islands, and communities and individuals considering long-range plans for a single island. People living in other coastal areas, particularly those on Maine's coastal peninsulas, should also find it relevant. It can be used as a specially-tailored guide to comprehensive planning for islands.

Back to Library Index Page