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Priorities
Land Use
Islands are defined by their limits. Geography presents the most salient of island limits, but a finite amount of ‘space’ has many more implications than simply the amount of land available to build homes. Wise, informed land use considers the importance of land for multiple uses: residential and commercial development, working-waterfront access, open space for recreation and wildlife, wetlands to recharge aquifers, and much more.
In This Section
Our People
Some of our talented people working in this area.
 | Amanda Ravenhill Cranberry Isles Sustainable Community Fellow |
 | Thea Youngs Chebeague Island GIS Fellow |
Maintaining Character
An equally important aspect of wise land use is the balance between maintaining the character of the islands while allowing for an expanding population and economy. Most of the islands are identified by a rural character that includes fields, forests, undeveloped shoreline, compact and clustered villages, and lots of undeveloped land to explore. This image, however, often ignores the development necessary to grow an island’s population and economy. To help seek a balance between these two important aspects, the Island Institute advocates for wise land use and assists communities with the formulation of land-use plans through GIS-mapping technology, with Island Fellows, and through many other programs and organizational resources.