Boundary Line Information

INFORMATION SHEET 4

REVISED: DECEMBER 2022

Maine Forest Service, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION & FORESTRY

22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333

Practical advice for your land and trees from the Maine Forest Service

Robert Frost’s observation “good fences

make good neighbors” is as true today as when he

wrote it. As land and timber values increase, good

boundaries are even more important today than they

were in the past. The following information will help

landowners avoid boundary problems:

Establishing boundaries:

1. An “established property line” means a line

demarcated by monuments, signs, markings, pins,

reference points or other markers that denotes a

change in ownership between abutting properties.

These established property line markers must have

been placed upon mutual agreement of the abutting

landowners, based on historical physical evidence of a

preexisting boundary line or by a licensed professional

land surveyor.

Only a licensed surveyor can establish a property line

if there are no existing blazes or monuments.

Surveyors are licensed in the state of Maine under 32

M.R.S. §18201 et seq. A roster of land surveyors

licensed to practice in Maine is available online at:

https://www.pfr.maine.gov/ALMSOnline/ALMSQuery/

SearchIndividual.aspx

2. A landowner or licensed forester may maintain a

line where some monuments or blazes still exist. If you

cannot sight from one blaze to another, you should get

the line surveyed by a licensed surveyor. Previously

marked lines may be incorrect and will be relocated

after an accurate survey.

3. Monuments are relatively permanent features like

stone posts, iron bars, etc., that are established by a

surveyor. Tree blazes are not monuments, they are an

approximate location of where the line lies. A cap

listing the surveyor’s license number must be placed

on the lot’s corner posts.

4. Line trees are trees where the actual boundary

intersects any part of the tree, such that part of the

tree is on either side of the boundary (17 M.R.S.

§2511(1)(D). (See Tree A on the back of this sheet.)

Because they may be evidence of a line, blazed trees

on a property line serve as witness trees and should

not be cut. They generally have little timber value as

the blaze provides an avenue for bacteria and fungi to

invade the tree and cause rot. Line trees may also

have fencing tacked to them, which will cause them to

be rejected at a sawmill. Line trees may only be cut

with the permission of the abutting landowner (17

M.R.S. §2511(2)(B).

5. Before permanently marking a boundary by blazing

or painting, the line should be walked with the

adjoining landowner to ensure its location is mutually

agreeable. If there is disagreement about a line, it

should be surveyed. Landowners may agree to share

the costs; however, this should be agreed to or

otherwise determined before proceeding with the

survey.

Maintaining boundaries:

1. Boundaries should be painted with high grade,

durable paint. Colors such as red, yellow, orange or

blue are easily seen and visible for long distances.

Paints specifically formulated for marking boundaries

are available from forestry supply companies. Paint

trees only when the bark is warm and dry.

2. In blazing and painting trees along the boundary

line, the following rule is used:

A. If the boundary line passes through the middle of

a tree, blaze and paint on both sides of that tree

where the line passes through it (Tree A).

B. Where the line passes adjacent to the tree, blaze

and paint one point only, immediately adjacent to the

line (Tree B).

C. Be sure to paint generously so that lines can be

seen from either side. This will help prevent

accidental trespass.

3. Avoid blazing well-formed, large, or valuable trees as

blazing may degrade their value. Blazes should be over

six inches long and located about five feet above the

ground. Blaze often enough so that it is possible to see

the next blaze easily. When re-blazing a line, blaze

above or below the original blaze so that historical

evidence is not lost.

For more information, please contact:

Maine Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

CONSERVATION & FORESTRY

22 State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333-0022

(207) 287-2791

forestinfo@maine.gov

www.maineforestservice.gov

4. Boundary lines should be brushed out for easy

traveling and visibility. Prune limbs to head height and

cut small trees along the line. Permission is required

to cut vegetation on another’s property. Check with the

adjoining landowner before proceeding.

5. Missing corners should only be placed by a surveyor

and be of permanent material, with the adjoining trees

(witnesses) marked for easy locating. Deteriorating

corner posts may be replaced with cedar or spruce

posts, as other species it will quickly decay. Iron pipe

is long lasting, easily transported, inexpensive, and

easily driven into the ground. Where available, pile

small stones around corner posts. Paint the stones

and the corner post. Leave existing old posts as

evidence.

6. High quality paint, properly applied, should last at

least ten years in the woods; axe blazes should last

longer. Lines should be checked and maintained

annually or periodically. Lines and corners should be

shown to family members so they can locate them in

the future.

Timber Harvesting and Boundaries:

Maine law protects adjoining landowners from timber

trespass and damages that occur during logging or

wood harvesting operations. If you are considering

harvesting timber, you should know and observe state

and local timber harvesting regulations near property

lines, trespass, and slash disposal laws.

1. Anyone who authorizes timber harvesting, or

harvests timber shall clearly mark with flagging or

other temporary and visible means any established

property lines within 200 feet of an area to be

harvested. Property lines must be marked prior to

commencing a harvest. Parcels less than five acres are

exempt. (17 M.R.S. §2511). Failure to clearly mark

property lines may also make the person who

authorized the cutting liable for forfeiture damages to

an abutter if a timber trespass occurs (17 M.R.S.

§2510(2).

2. Slash left from any cutting operations of forest

growth must be disposed of according to the following

regulations: (12 M.R.S. §9331-9336).

A. Along highways, slash must not be left in the right-

of-way or within 50 feet of a public highway.

B. Along railroads and utility lines (pipeline, electric,

telephone, telegraph, or cable) slash must be

removed from in the right-of-way or within 25 feet of

the nearer side of the right-of-way.

C. Slash that might constitute a fire hazard shall not

be allowed to remain on the ground within 25 feet

of the property line of land belonging to another.

No Trespassing Marking:

A landowner may mark their property with OSHA

Safety Purple paint to indicate that access is by

permission only. Paint should be a single stripe at

least one inch wide and eight inches long and

located between three and five feet off the ground

(17-A M.R.S. §402). Stripes should be no further

than 100 feet apart along the property line and at

vehicular entries. This should be in addition to a

properly marked and blazed boundary line.

Blazes

Boundary