BLOOMBERG • July 30, 2024
The hustle and bustle of Maine during its summer tourism season is obvious along Route 1, the busy highway that carries visitors through this coastal town, often en route to Mount Desert Island, the Blue Hill Peninsula or points farther up the coast. For locals in the know, though, it’s possible to turn off Route 1 and drive about 2 miles south to find an easy hideaway from all that traffic, on the free walking trails and beaches of secluded Sears Island. It’s that pristine quality that has endeared Sears Island to local residents for years. It’s also what has put the state-owned island at the center of some of Maine’s most heated development disputes of the past few decades.