Comprehensive Planning—Town of Vinalhaven Island, Knox County, Maine

This display includes images of 12 full-size maps prepared for Vinalhaven Island’s Comprehensive Planning process. Geology, soils, surface and groundwater hydrology, land cover, wildlife, marine resources, and land use are represented. The maps provide the town with a comprehensive collection of information, all of which is relevant to planning the future of the island.

The challenge for citizens is not the typical lack of information, but rather how to use all of the information they now have to make the wisest land use decisions. To do this, they rated the most important layers and features for development suitability and assigned colors from red to green with green meaning “Go” and red meaning “Stop.” Certain layers, for example, marine resources, were left symbolized while considering potential nonpoint pollution sources of runoff that might end up in the water. The central Development Suitability map is a summary of values that can be used to guide future development to the most suitable locations. The converse process can be used to help prioritize conservation efforts.

Vinalhaven Island is the largest island of mid-coast Maine, and islanders have been fishing the local waters for generations. They have maintained a sustainable fishery, one of the most productive for lobster in the state, and want to manage their land in a sustainable way, too. College of the Atlantic has worked closely with the island town to create the maps and assist in the planning process. The town now has GIS capabilities of its own in the high school, town office, and local land trust. It has one of the most comprehensive municipal GIS databases in the state.