About the Commission

ABOUT THE COMMISSION

The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC or the Commission) was created by the Maine Legislature in 1971 to serve as the planning and zoning authority for the state’s townships, plantations and unorganized areas. The Commission has land use regulatory jurisdiction over these areas because they have no form of local government to administer land use controls, or they have chosen not to administer land use controls at the local level.

The Commission was established primarily in response to a recreational building and land development boom in these areas during the late 1960’s. Its purpose is to extend the principles of planning and zoning; to preserve public health, safety, and welfare; to encourage the well-planned, multiple use of natural resources; to promote orderly development; and to protect natural and ecological values.

The responsibility of guiding land use in these areas represents a unique challenge. The jurisdiction stretches over half the state, encompassing more than 10.4 million acres and the largest contiguous undeveloped area in the Northeast. This is a diverse area that includes several coastal islands and stretches from the downeast area across the western mountains and up to the Canadian border. While the area has an extensive private land management road network, it has few public roads and is sparsely populated. Most development is concentrated along the fringe of the jurisdiction, adjacent to more populous areas where services are more accessible.

Much of this area may seem like wilderness compared to most of the rest of the Northeast, but agricultural, forestry, and recreational activities clearly identify the region as a hardworking resource vital to the overall economy of the State. Residents and visitors alike place a premium on the unique natural values they find here.