Requesting Access to Private Land (assessor, home, to buy)

[Smuds]

Hi everyone,

I've always that there's a tradition in Maine of undeveloped landowners allowing their property to be used for recreational purposes. More accurately, I guess, the Maine law technically operates under implied consent but you should probably ask, especially if you're using their land for resources.

My question is, how? Could I just go on google maps or the Maine state interactive parcel viewer and just poke around until I find an area that looks like it'd be fun to hike around in, check who owns the property with the town's tax assessor and just call or mail them saying "Hi, I noticed you are the owner of the land at 123 Street Street, I am interested in hiking/foraging/camping/fishing in that area. Are you comfortable with your property being used for those purposes?"

[Maine Writer]

Yes. The landowner will appreciate that you asked first. Thank you for being respectful and setting a great example.

[7th generation]

Originally Posted by Smuds

Hi everyone,

I've always that there's a tradition in Maine of undeveloped landowners allowing their property to be used for recreational purposes. More accurately, I guess, the Maine law technically operates under implied consent but you should probably ask, especially if you're using their land for resources.

My question is, how? Could I just go on google maps or the Maine state interactive parcel viewer and just poke around until I find an area that looks like it'd be fun to hike around in, check who owns the property with the town's tax assessor and just call or mail them saying "Hi, I noticed you are the owner of the land at 123 Street Street, I am interested in hiking/foraging/camping/fishing in that area. Are you comfortable with your property being used for those purposes?"

Always ask. You never know who's holding that shiny object pointed at you.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Maine has undergone drastic change in the last couple of decades. There is not one acre of Maine paper company land today. One of the last big family parcels just sold. The new owners are putting up large steel gates made of 4x4 inch heavy wall steel tubing. A local steel fabrication company has a very nice contract. The goal is to buy up everything fro myhe Mattawameag River in Drew, north to Patton and west to the Canadian border. Look at a map. That is BIG!

You might be able to walk in and hunt birds, but how far can you drag a moose?

[CARas2020]

I wanted to add and it really is a no brainer to leave no trace, meaning take your trash out with you.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

We always took a heavy duty trash bag with us. We picked up every piece of trash at our capsite, including what was there when we arrived. We also left dry kindling for the next party to show up. We were camped in Little Claw on Lobster Lake and were the only party there. We heard a boat coming at high speed and around the point came a skiff with a man standing up inthe stern. He zoomed up to th beach, cut his motor and rode his own wave onto the beach. He walked into the middle of our camp and started looking over our gear.

In over 60 years of camping in Maine, I had never seen anything this discourteous. I asked the young guy what he was doing. He announced with a strong New Jersey accent that he was a "corredor ranger" and he was insecting our campsite. I told hme that Maine people had been camping on this site for thousands of years and we had never needed anybody from Hoboken to help us.

He seemed offended and repeated that he was a corredor ranger. I just said, "Run along Sonny." That was the first year after the state had declared the West Branch to be a corredor.

[LPG2020]

[quote=Northern Maine Land Man;60372803]I just said, "Run along Sonny." /quote]


LOL... yeah, I bet it happened exactly like that. So you basically have no respect for law enforcement?

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by LPG2020

LOL... yeah, I bet it happened exactly like that. So you basically have no respect for law enforcement?

There's no such thing as a corridor ranger. Respect?

[nm9stheham]

I was going to ask what a 'corridor ranger' is..... Did this person have and show a badge?



(And, as a general comment, not all those carrying the title of 'ranger' are law enforcement officers.)

[Submariner]

A couple of people ask me each year for permission to use my land.

One couple has three children, they make wreaths as their source of income in the winter. I give them permission and they cut fir tips.

One year a Ranger caught them, when I came home the ranger had them in handcuffs waiting for me. The ranger wanted them to have a state permit signed by me that it was okay for them to be on my land. I signed the form right away.

Another couple is two older men, a father and a son, they run traplines looking to catch bobcat or coyote.

Then there is a man who baits bear on my land.

Each Spring I invite people to pick fiddleheads on my land [or ginseng, or chaga].