BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 22, 2021
A group of Mainers filed a lawsuit this week against property owners who claim ownership over intertidal land in a long-awaited challenge to a landmark state court ruling. The case, filed in Cumberland County Superior Court, holds that beach land between the high-water and low-water mark should be available for public use, which conflicts with a 1987 court ruling that stripped the public’s right to beaches throughout the state for harvesting and recreation. “We’re confident Maine law will once again clearly state that the people of Maine own all the beaches along the coast, and all the intertidal lands,” said Benjamin Ford, one of three attorneys representing 23 plaintiffs including public figures and business owners.