Landowner Relations Program

“When Maine people want to get back to nature, they don’t have far to go. The careful and productive use of natural resources has always been the foundation of the Maine economy. It’s our heritage and our way of life. The ability of private landowners to continue earning their living from the land is also essential for outdoor recreation. Productive farmland and forests help to keep land from being developed.

Maine has a unique history of public access to private land. Over the past 200 years, landowners, residents and visitors have forged a tradition of neighborliness and shared access that is found nowhere else in the nation.

Approximately 94% of the state’s land area is privately owned and more than 10 million acres of working farms and forests are open to the public. This voluntary contribution by landowners needs to be understood and respected by everyone who ventures outdoors.”

Outdoor Partners Landowner Relations Program

“The Outdoor Partners Program helps to provide funding to protect Maine’s longstanding tradition of public access to privately owned land. Funds from the Outdoor Partners Program go to enhanced law enforcement details in areas where problems occur; the landowner sign program, offering an alternative to no trespassing signs, which aids landowners in managing access to their land; equipment to investigate and prosecute landowner abuse and criminal trespass complaints; and promotional and educational programs designed to promote and maintain access.

Becoming a member of the Outdoor Partners Program is simple! Membership can be purchased with your hunting or fishing license or from our online store for just $15.00.”