FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. IIQ 



"The repeated calls for information about the titles to islands 

 on the coast is somewhat perplexing. Inquirers evidently think 

 that there is somewhere a schedule of all the islands on the coast 

 and that they can easily ascertain whether the State claims any 

 title or not. All islands not previously sold, and that were 

 considered to be of any value, were scheduled by Maine and 

 Massachusetts in 1822, and divided between the states as pro- 

 vided in the Act of Separation. These islands have all been 

 sold, and the islands remaining were not considered of any 

 value, and no list or schedule of them was ever taken or filed." 



In his report of 1892 the Land Agent says: 



*T have prepared a new list of all islands that have been con- 

 veyed by the State, including those by Massachusetts before 

 Maine became a State. The general opinion seems to be that 

 the islands not included in this list are still the property of the 

 State and should be so regarded, although in many instances 

 there are pretended owners basing their claims upon the fact 

 that members of their family have claimed them for many years. 

 In some instances where improvements have been made, and 

 the land actually occupied, perhaps these claims should be rec- 

 ognized to a certain extent, but where there has been no actual 

 occupation and no improvements made, I fail to see how any 

 valid claim against the State can be set up." 



The Forest Commissioner's Report for 1908 contains a 

 revised schedule of islands conveyed to that time. He says : 



"The islands of the State have always been the source of 

 much controversy, and there is still much interest taken in them. 

 The bulk of the islands in which the State has or had an interest 

 has been disposed of by deed or grant." 



"In 1876 an Act was passed by the Legislature authorizing 

 and requiring the Land Agent to sell, under the direction of 

 the Governor and Council, all the islands on the coast belonging 

 to the State. Acting under that order the majority of the 

 unsold islands were disposed of. Little account was taken at 

 that time of small islands or ledges. Owing to the general in- 

 crease of values in coast property for summer resort purposes,, 

 there has of late years sprung up a demand for even the smaller 

 of these. It has, however, become the settled policy of the 

 Governor and Council to refuse all applications for these small 

 islands and ledges, deeming it of more general interest to retain 



