Identification_Information:
  Citation:
    Citation_Information:
      Originator: Maine Library of Geographic Information (MLGI), Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS) (comp., ed.)
      Publication_Date: 20100415
      Title: parcels
      Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
      Series_Information:
        Series_Name: Maine GIS
        Issue_Identification: SDE server; Internet Data Catalog
      Publication_Information:
        Publication_Place: Augusta ME
        Publisher: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)
  Description:
    Abstract:
      PARCELS contains municipal parcels data developed through municipal grants of the Maine Library of Geographic Information (MLGI).  Submission of the municipal parcels data was guided by standards presented to the MLGI Board, May 21, 2005, "Standards for Digital Parcel Files".  Municipal parcels data is published as a statewide layer in the Maine GIS infrastructure for the Maine Geolibrary by the Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS)

      Items in the statewide GIS data layer PARCELS include: STATE_ID, MAP_BK_LOT, PARENT, PROP_LOC, GEO_LOT, TOWN, GEOCODE, TAG, and STAGE. The field GEO_LOT provides a town specific identifier for each MAP_BK_LOT number in the PARCELS data layer. The STATE_ID is a unique statewide identifier assigned to each parcel on submission to the Maine GIS infrastructure. It is intended to serve as a means of tracking changes to each parcel over time.

      The layer PARCELS also contains municipal parcel data collected by the Maine Office of GIS.  The data sets are differentiated by the item FMSCORG. See Entity and Attribute information.

      The SDE layer PARCELS contains additional municipal parcel data collected by the Department of Environmental Protection. This data is not published on the MEGIS data catalog. The two data sets are differenciated by the item FMSCORG. See Entity and Attribute.
    Purpose:
      The purpose of the municipal grant program was to create and upgrade digital tax parcels data for the creation and publication of a standardized statewide parcels geospatial data layer for Maine.

      Property maps are a fundamental base for many municipal activities. Although GIS parcels data cannot replace detailed ground surveys, the data can assist municipal officials with functions such as accurate property tax assessment, planning and zoning. Towns can link maps to an assessor's database and display local information. Officials can show tax-payers how proposed development or changes in municipal services and regulations may affect the community. In many towns, parcels data also helps to provide public notices, plan bus routes, and carry out other municipal services.

      The accuracy of PARCELS varies across the statewide layer, according to the level of accuracy established by grant requirements. There are four LEVELS of accuracy specified in the MLGI "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" under which grants have been made. The accuracy of LEVEL 1 submissions is unknown; LEVELS 2-4 provide data suitable for parcels studies and detailed local planning at a scale of 1:4800 or better. Users will find these levels, specific to each town, indicated in the attribute STAGE.
    Supplemental_Information:
      In October 2001, a survey was issued to a wide group of Maine GIS stakeholders for a GIS Needs and Requirements Analysis mandated by the Maine legislature. As part of that survey, GIS users were asked to identify data layers that would most benefit their operations. Of the layers requested, property parcels (digital cadastral maps) had the highest priority. The final report* recommended the development of digital parcels data, and detailed standards for digital parcels data.

      In January of 2003 under the auspices of the Maine Geolibrary Board, a Digital Parcel Standards Committee was formed to develop published standards for digital tax parcels data. The committee was composed of representatives from the following public and private sector organizations: Bureau of Information Services, Central Maine Power Company, City of Bath, City of Portland, Maine Department of Conservation, Maine Department of Transportation, Greater Portland Council of Governments, Hancock County Planning Commission, Island Institute, James W. Sewall Company, Maine Revenue Service, Maine State Archives, Maine Development Commission, and the State Planning Office. Standards for the development of digital parcels data were presented to the Maine Geolibrary Board by the Committee May 21, 2003 and the current version of "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" is published at http://www.maine.gov/geolib/Policies/policies.htm .

      *Applied Geographics Inc., State of Maine GIS Needs Assessment & Requirements Analysis and Strategic Plan to Develop the Maine Public Library of Geographic Information, January 2002, page 29, page 22
  Time_Period_of_Content:
    Time_Period_Information:
      Single_Date/Time:
        Calendar_Date: source dates
    Currentness_Reference: ground condition
  Status:
    Progress: In work
    Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Unknown
  Spatial_Domain:
    Bounding_Coordinates:
      West_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.3
      East_Bounding_Coordinate: -66.8
      North_Bounding_Coordinate: 47.6
      South_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.9
  Keywords:
    Theme:
      Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO Keyword Thesaurus
      Theme_Keyword: planningCadastre
    Theme:
      Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: Maine GIS Thesaurus-Theme
      Theme_Keyword: parcels data
      Theme_Keyword: maps
      Theme_Keyword: towns
    Place:
      Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Maine GIS Thesaurus-Place
      Place_Keyword: Maine
    Stratum:
      Stratum_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD Parameter Keyword
      Stratum_Keyword: human dimensions
  Access_Constraints: none
  Use_Constraints:
    PARCELS is for planning purposes only and should not be used for conveyance of land. 

    Users must assume responsibility in determining the usability of this data for their purposes. Digital maps retain the accuracy of their source materials. The best use of data mapped at scales of 1:500,000 and 1:250,000 is in statewide planning and studies; at 1:100,000 in regional planning and studies; at 1:62,500 and 1:24,000 in detailed studies and local planning; and at 1:12,000 and 1:5,000 or larger scales in parcel level studies and detailed local planning. In the use of Maine GIS data, please check sources, scale, accuracy, currentness and other available information. Please confirm that you are using the correct copy of both data and metadata from the Maine GIS Data Catalog.  Updates, corrections, and feedback, incorporated in the Maine GIS database are made in accordance with "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", 2002, and coordinated by MEGIS
  Point_of_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
      Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing address
        Address: State House Station 174
        City: Augusta
        State_or_Province: ME
        Postal_Code: 04333-0174
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 207 624-7700
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 207 287-3842
      Hours_of_Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST
  Data_Set_Credit: Credit should always be given to the data source and/or originator when the data is transferred or printed.
  Native_Data_Set_Environment: Maine Office of Information Technology (OIT) Oracle 9i, Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS), Maine GIS SDE,  Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog http://megis.maine.gov/catalog/
Data_Quality_Information:
  Attribute_Accuracy:
    Attribute_Accuracy_Report: Attribute field names must be kept under 10 characters in length. Attribute accuracy has been proofed by submitting contractors or vendors and municipalities.
  Logical_Consistency_Report:
    All parcelsl files submitted to the Geolibrary must conform to at least MLGI "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" Level or Stage 1, the data must be digital vector data, a seamless depiction of all town property boundaries and other legal interests; projection must be specified; and the data must conform to "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", June 27, 2002 with regard to spatial topology and edgematching. Project compliance for Levels 2, 3, 4 includes increasing levels of accuracy from coincident features and compilation to orthophotography, to survey grade. 

    The MLGI Board is currently confirming privacy and security requirements on submissions of related parcels tables information. As of 04/13/2006 publication includes only digital parcels.
  Completeness_Report:
    In work. The MLGI Board, with the State of Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services ( DAFS ), has twice, in 2004 and 2005, requested proposals from Maine municipalities for creating, upgrading or standardizing digital tax parcels data.  

    By 2008, 70  towns submitted digital parcel data: anson,arrowsic,auburn,bath,bethel,biddeford,bowdoin,bowdoinham,bridgton,brooksville,cape-elizabeth
    casco,castle-hill,chapman,china,clifton,cumberland,denmark,dover-foxcroft,ellsworth,falmouth
    fort-kent,freeport,friendship,gorham,gray,harrison,hermon,islesboro,saco,jackson,kittery,levant
    lovell,lyman,madawaska,mapleton,mariaville,new-gloucester,north-yarmouth,norway,ogunquit,oxford
    paris,phippsburg,raymond,readfield,richmond,rockport,rumford,searsmont,searsport,skowhegan,south-Berwick
    south-Portland,standish,sweden,thorndike,topsham,turner,unity,verona,waldoboro,west-bath,whiting
    winslow,woodland,woodstock and yarmouth

    The MLGI Board is currently confirming privacy and security requirements on submissions of related parcels tables information.  As of 04/13/2006 publication includes only digital parcels.
  Positional_Accuracy:
    Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
      Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
        The horizontal positional accuracy of PARCELS varies across the statewide layer, according to the level of accuracy established by grant requirements. There are four levels of accuracy specified in the MLGI "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" under which grants have been made.  The level of horizontal positional accuracy of digital parcels data known as LEVEL 1 or STAGE 1 is not known. 


        LEVEL or STAGE 1 data must be a single layer of digital vector data containing a seamless depiction of all town property boundaries and other legal interests shown on physical maps, projection must be defined, and the data must conform to "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", June 27, 2002, with regard to spatial topology and edgematching.  


        LEVEL or STAGE 2 data must conform to the minimum specifications of Level 1, all requirements of "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", June 27, 2002, and be georeferenced to as many well defined points as possible on an orthorectified photograph or vector base that meets the National Map Accuracy Standards for 1" = 400' or 1:4800 +/-13.33 feet, or better. 


        LEVEL or STAGE 3 data must conform to the minimum specifications of  Level 2 and be digitally recompiled to fit all coincident features, property boundaries, roads, adjacent town lines, on an orthophoto or vector base. 


        LEVEL or STAGE 4 data, at survey and engineering accuracy, must conform to the minimum specifications of Level 3, with errors in parcels data corrected and parcels closed geometrically, with digital parcels data located relative to cadastral markers, geodetic control points of the National Geodetic Survey, the Maine Department of Transportation or other parties using geodetic grade surveying equipment and methods.
      Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
        Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 13.33
        Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: LEVEL or STAGE 2, 3, and 4-"Standards for Digital Parcel Files" must be georeferenced to as many well defined points as possible on an orthorectified photograph or vector base that meets the National Map Accuracy Standards for 1" = 400' or 1:4800 +/-13.33 feet, or better.
  Lineage:
    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: Town of <>
          Publication_Date: multiple dates
          Title: (TAXMAPS) Maine Municipal Tax Map
      Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
        Time_Period_Information:
          Single_Date/Time:
            Time_of_Day: unknown
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: taxmaps
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        A project directory and database were created by municipality for workspace and tracking of parcels data and related parcels table submissions. The project database was used to record the status of submissions with respect to the municipal grant: data receipt date, effective date of parcels data, FY of related table, the level of accuracy expected, metadata on the source of the parcels data, the source date, the vendor/municipality submitting the digital parcels, and the results of  review.

        On submission, projection was verified for each municipal parcels shapefile and if necessary the data was projected to UTM, NAD83, Zone 19, meters. Each shapefile was compared with the Maine GIS base map for digital town boundaries METWP24. Vendor and/or municipality  were notified if the parcels data submitted did not closely cover the full extent of a town, and asked to resubmit a complete file.  Each shapefile was reviewed for conformance with the attribution, field name and data type requirements of the "Standards for Digital Parcel Files". MAP_BK_LOT must be populated and vendor/municipality were contacted to confirm or correct blank entries. The items GEO_LOT, TOWN, GEOCODE, TAG, and STAGE were added and calculated in each municipal parcels shapefile. Roads, water, islands, railroads, rights of way, or other feature types were tagged and examined for closure. For LEVEL/STAGE 2 and higher parcels data submissions, the highest resolution orthophotography available, ORTHO_HF, ORTHO_1F, ORTHO_2F, DOQQ, was used to spot check spatial accuracy with road intersections and coincident features.

        Each related municipal parcels table submitted was reviewed for conformance with the attribution, field name and data type requirements of the "Standards for Digital Parcel Files". The items GEO_LOT and GEOCODE were added to the parcels table and calculated. Each municipal parcels table and parcels shapefile were joined on the item MAP_BK_LOT and symbolized by OWNER for review, then symbolized by MAP_BK_LOT to verify closure with other features. A 1:1 relationship was not expected. The number of parcels without parcels table records was noted. Null values were examined. Vendor and/or municipality were contacted for additional information if the parcels table submitted contained a blank FY field. The MLGI Board is currently confirming privacy and security requirements for related parcels tables information, publication is on hold.
      Process_Date: 20050808
      Process_Contact:
        Contact_Information:
          Contact_Organization_Primary:
            Contact_Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
            Contact_Person: GIS Coordinator
          Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
          Contact_Address:
            Address_Type: mailing address
            Address: State House Station 174
            City: Augusta
            State_or_Province: ME
            Postal_Code: 04333-0174
            Country: USA
          Contact_Voice_Telephone: 207 624-7700
          Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 207 287-3842
          Hours_of_Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        To add municipal parcels data to the Maine GIS infrastructure, a PARCELS feature dataset was created to hold a statewide PARCELS polygon feature class. Each municipal parcels shapefile was added to the statewide PARCELS polygon feature class.

        The STATE_ID field was added to the PARCELS feature class and calculated. "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" call for a numeric data type for this field; however, to maintain the leading zeroes of a town GEOCODE a text field was required. 

        The STATE_ID on each parcel record consists of the concatenation of the town GEOCODE and the MEGIS.SDE_ DEFAULT OBJECTID. The field is intended to be a unique, statewide identifier for each parcel. The intention of assigning a STATE_ID to each parcel is to provide a means of tracking changes to that parcel over time. To do this it is recommended that the STATE_ID represent the parcels recorded in the first submission, to the Maine GIS infrastructure, of digital parcels data from a municipality. The STATE_ID assigned each parcel should be carried, as is,  to each subsequent depiction of a parcel and to each division of a parcel, distinct  from any other new identifier, flag, suffix, version number, or MAP_BK_LOT assigned. The STATE_ID provides a means to reconstruct changes to a parcel area over time.* * Careful attention to update and edit method will be required to maintain the integrity and usefulness of this identifier.
      Process_Date: 20060413
      Process_Contact:
        Contact_Information:
          Contact_Organization_Primary:
            Contact_Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
            Contact_Person: GIS Coordinator
          Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
          Contact_Address:
            Address_Type: mailing address
            Address: State House Station 174
            City: Augusta
            State_or_Province: ME
            Postal_Code: 04333-0174
            Country: USA
          Contact_Voice_Telephone: 207 624-7700
          Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 207 287-3842
          Hours_of_Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        PARCELS data for an additional 27 towns were added to the MEGIS data catalog and the Maine GIS infrastructure.  A poll of data users thru the listservers indicated that the line feature class was not useful. Creating this layer has been time consuming so It was decided not to publish the PARCELSL line feature class any longer. The PARCELSL layer was removed from existing downloads of PARCELS and new additions were not supplied with it. 

        Metadata was updated to reflect these changes and published both to the MEGIS data catalog and the Maine GIS infrastructure.
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: taxmaps
      Process_Date: 11/11/2008
      Process_Contact:
        Contact_Information:
          Contact_Organization_Primary:
            Contact_Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
            Contact_Person: GIS Coordinator
          Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
          Contact_Address:
            Address_Type: mailing address
            Address: State House Station 174
            City: Augusta
            State_or_Province: ME
            Postal_Code: 04333-0174
            Country: USA
          Contact_Voice_Telephone: 207 624-7700
          Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 207 287-3842
          Hours_of_Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description: The Maine Department of Environmental Protection contributed parcel data for 8 towns. This data was loaded into the state SDE database but will not be available for download on the MEGIS web based data catalog. The item FMSCORG was added to the SDE version of PARCELS to differentiate between the DEP and the Geolibrary  sources of parcel data.
      Process_Date: 04/30/2009
      Process_Contact:
        Contact_Information:
          Contact_Organization_Primary:
            Contact_Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
            Contact_Person: GIS Coordinator
          Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
          Contact_Address:
            Address_Type: mailing address
            Address: State House Station 174
            City: Augusta
            State_or_Province: ME
            Postal_Code: 04333-0174
            Country: USA
          Contact_Voice_Telephone: 207 624-7700
          Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 207 287-3842
          Hours_of_Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description: MEGIS collected digital parcel data from 35 municipalities in the fall of 2009 through 2010. These were added into a personal geodatabase and then imported into MEGIS.SDE to join the previously submitted parcel data.
      Process_Date: 2010
      Process_Contact:
        Contact_Information:
          Contact_Organization_Primary:
            Contact_Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
          Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
          Contact_Address:
            Address_Type: mailing address
            Address: State House Station 174
            City: Augusta
            State_or_Province: ME
            Postal_Code: 04333-0174
            Country: USA
          Contact_Voice_Telephone: 207 624-7700
          Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 207 287-3842
          Hours_of_Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
  Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
  Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
    SDTS_Terms_Description:
      SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Complete chain
      Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 322182
    SDTS_Terms_Description:
      SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Area chain
      Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 101903
Spatial_Reference_Information:
  Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
    Planar:
      Grid_Coordinate_System:
        Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
        Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
          UTM_Zone_Number: 19
          Transverse_Mercator:
            Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600
            Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -69.000000
            Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.000000
            False_Easting: 500000.000000
            False_Northing: 0.000000
      Planar_Coordinate_Information:
        Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: Coordinate Pair
        Coordinate_Representation:
          Abscissa_Resolution: 0
          Ordinate_Resolution: 0
        Planar_Distance_Units: meters
    Geodetic_Model:
      Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
      Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
      Semi-major_Axis: 6378137
      Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257
  Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
    Altitude_System_Definition:
      Altitude_Resolution: 1.000000
      Altitude_Encoding_Method: Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
  Detailed_Description:
    Entity_Type:
      Entity_Type_Label: PARCELS
      Entity_Type_Definition: polygon feature class
      Entity_Type_Definition_Source: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: GEOCODE
      Attribute_Definition: 5 character code corresponding to the "Standard Geographic Code for Maine Counties and Minor Civil Divisions", 1971
      Attribute_Definition_Source: For a current digital copy of "Standard Geocodes for Maine Minor Civil Divisions" in .dbf or comma delimited text format see http://megis.maine.gov/catalog "Tables".
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: GEO_LOT
      Attribute_Definition: A relate field in both PARCELS and PARCELSTABLE that is a concatenation of the town GEOCODE and the parcel MAP_BK_LOT identifier, intended to provide a town specific identifier for each MAP_BK_LOT number.
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: MAP_BK_LOT
      Attribute_Definition: A municipal designation field which carries the map, block and lot assigned to each parcel by the municipal assessor. For each town, this field is the link to related municipal databases. It may not be possible to make this link represent a 1:1 relationship between the assessor's database and the digital parcels map for every parcel or property record.  This standard requires only an initial effort to make the linkage as complete as possible. For statewide digital parcels data,the GEO_LOT field, a concatenation of  the town GEOCODE with the MAP_BK_LOT number, serves as a link to the statewide related parcels table. (character field)
      Attribute_Definition_Source: See MLGI "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" for precise descriptions of required feature attribute fields http://megis.maine.gov/standards/
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: PARENT
      Attribute_Definition: The MAP_BK_LOT listing in the assessor's database where information about a parcel may be found. Some Maine towns organize their tax assessing database so that only one bill is sent to each property owner. If the property owner holds several lots only one listing in the assessor's database will be made to serve for all of them. In these cases one MAP_BLK_LOT designation will be assigned to the combined listing. For the remaining lots, the PARENT field contains a pointer to the appropriate MAP_BK_LOT listing. For more information, see Appendix B of the "Standards for Digital Parcel Files". (character field)
      Attribute_Definition_Source: See MLGI "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" for precise descriptions of required feature attribute fields http://megis.maine.gov/standards/
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: PROP_LOC
      Attribute_Definition: physical address of the property, if applicable
      Attribute_Definition_Source: See MLGI "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" for precise descriptions of required feature attribute fields http://megis.maine.gov/standards/
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: STAGE
      Attribute_Definition: The horizontal positional accuracy of PARCELS varies across the statewide layer. The attribute STAGE reflects the level of accuracy met according to requirements of grants made under MLGI "Standards for Digital Parcel Files", LEVELS 1-4.
      Attribute_Definition_Source: See MLGI "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" for precise descriptions http://megis.maine.gov/standards/
      Attribute_Domain_Values:
        Enumerated_Domain:
          Enumerated_Domain_Value: 1
          Enumerated_Domain_Value: 2
          Enumerated_Domain_Value: 3
          Enumerated_Domain_Value: 4
          Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: STAGE 1 data must be a single layer of digital vector data containing a seamless depiction of all town property boundaries and other legal interests shown on physical maps, must conform to  "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", June 27, 2002, with regard to spatial topology and edgematching, must have projection defined.
          Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: STAGE 2 data must conform to the minimum specifications of "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" Level 1, all requirements of "Data Standards for Maine Geographic Information Systems", June 27, 2002, and be georeferenced to as many well defined points as possible on an orthorectified photograph or vector base that meets the National Map Accuracy Standards for 1" = 400' or 1:4800 +/-13.33 feet, or better.
          Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: STAGE 3 data must conform to the minimum specifications of "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" Level 2 and be digitally recompiled to fit all coincident features, property boundaries, roads, adjacent town lines, on an orthophoto or vector base.
          Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: STAGE 4 data, at survey and engineering accuracy, must conform to the minimum specifications of "Standards for Digital Parcel Files" Level 3, with errors in parcels data corrected and parcels closed geometrically, with digital parcels data located relative to cadastral markers, geodetic control points of the National Geodetic Survey, the Maine Department of Transportation or other parties using geodetic grade surveying equipment and methods.
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: TAG
      Attribute_Definition: item used to distinguish those records in PARCELS that refer to a parcel with a MAP_BK_LOT identifier
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: TOWN
      Attribute_Definition: town or reservation name as listed in "Standard Geographic Code for Maine Minor Civil Divisions"
      Attribute_Definition_Source: For a current digital copy of "Standard Geocodes for Maine Minor Civil Divisions" in .dbf or comma delimited text format see http://megis.maine.gov/catalog "Tables" link.
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: OBJECTID
      Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.
      Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI
      Attribute_Domain_Values:
        Unrepresentable_Domain: Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: STATEID
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: SHAPE
      Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.
      Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI
      Attribute_Domain_Values:
        Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: FMSRCORG
      Attribute_Definition: FM item FMSRCORG refers to the ORIGINATOR OF THE SOURCE used in the location of a feature; codes for this item are standardized acronyms (ME prefix for Maine state agencies, US prefix for USA federal agencies, all lower-case, no hyphens, no punctuation, confirmed), cross references can be made between this item and the element Originator, part of the Data Quality/Source Information section of FGDC metadata
      Attribute_Definition_Source: MEGIS
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: SHAPE.AREA
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: SHAPE.LEN
  Overview_Description:
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
      Items for PARCELS polygons have been standardized in the statewide GIS data layer to include: STATE_ID, MAP_BK_LOT, PARENT, PROP_LOC, GEO_LOT, GEOCODE, TOWN, TAG and STAGE.

      The MLGI Board is currently confirming privacy and security requirements for related parcels tables information. As of 04/13/2006 publication includes only municipal parcels data.

      The item FMSCORG has been added to the PARCELS layer in SDE. It differentiates between recently added DEP, MEGIS and the MLGI parcel data.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: The  ArcView shapefile and ArcGIS geodatabase formats, commonly used for Maine GIS data, carry default identifiers and attributes that are software generated and/or important for internal recordkeeping. These are listed here to avoid repetition for every layer, and may not be repeated in the attribute descriptions and definitions of each layer. Common software generated identifiers and attributes in Maine GIS data include: FID (feature identifier), Shape (feature geometry), OBJECTID and SHAPE_lengt.  In addition, most GIS formats will carry fields for PERIMETER, AREA and/or LENGTH according to feature geometry. These fields are typically available by default, with the units based on coordinate system or projection units of GIS data. Most GIS software packages also provide a means to calculate these values. It is important to test any columns containing PERIMETER, AREA or LENGTH values before using them for analysis purposes. These important values can be carried from format to format and become out-dated. Verify that the values are correct. Also, in your GIS software, please view the properties of data layers for the map units used to calculate these fields, and for the units set for display purposes.
Distribution_Information:
  Distributor:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
      Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing address
        Address: State House Station 174
        City: Augusta
        State_or_Province: ME
        Postal_Code: 04333-0174
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 207 624-7700
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 207 287-3842
      Hours_of_Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST
  Resource_Description: Downloadable Data
  Distribution_Liability: Users must assume responsibility to determine the usability of this data for their purposes. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems, no warranty expressed or implied is made by MEGIS regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. Neither the Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems, nor any of its contributors, is liable for misuse of the data, for damage, for transmission of viruses, or for computer contamination through the distribution of these data sets.
  Standard_Order_Process:
    Digital_Form:
      Digital_Transfer_Information:
        Format_Name: ESRI Shapefile
        Format_Version_Number: ARC Version 9.x
        Format_Specification: ArcView Shapefile Format
        Format_Information_Content: MEGIS has made all vector layers, in the Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog, available in ESRI's ArcView shapefile format. A shapefile is a simple non-topological format that stores the geometry and attribute information for a set of geographic features as a set of vector (point, line, polygon) coordinates. Shapefiles draw quickly and directly in ArcView, ArcGIS, ArcExplorer. Shapefiles are a compatible data type for many other types of GIS software. Three files are fundamental to each shapefile: .shp stores the feature geometry (shape and location information); .shx stores the index of the feature geometry; .dbf a dBASE (TM) file stores the attribute information for the features. Other index files may be created to help speed analysis and query: these file formats are .sbn  .sbx  .ain .aix .fbn and .fbx. In addition you may find projection .prj, and metadata .xml, files associated with shapefiles.
        File_Decompression_Technique: Data available from this website is in .zip compressed format. WinZip is a Windows based, PKZip-compatible compression utility. You will need a program like this to extract the data.
      Digital_Transfer_Option:
        Online_Option:
          Computer_Contact_Information:
            Network_Address:
              Network_Resource_Name: http://megis.maine.gov/catalog/
          Access_Instructions: These data are available to Internet browsers for download from the Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog - http://megis.maine.gov/catalog/
    Fees: Data may be downloaded from Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog at no charge.
    Turnaround: Data is available for immediate download from the Maine GIS Internet Data Catalog.
Distribution_Information:
  Distributor:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Organization: Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
      Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing address
        Address: State House Station 174
        City: Augusta
        State_or_Province: ME
        Postal_Code: 04333-0174
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: (207) 624-7700
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (207) 287-3842
      Hours_of_Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST
  Resource_Description: Downloadable Data
  Distribution_Liability: Users must assume responsibility to determine the usability of this data for their purposes.
  Standard_Order_Process:
    Digital_Form:
      Digital_Transfer_Information:
        Format_Name: ARCSDE
        Format_Version_Number: ArcSDE 9.x
        Format_Information_Content: Oracle 9i
      Digital_Transfer_Option:
        Online_Option:
          Access_Instructions: Please contact the Maine Office of GIS (MEGIS) for access instructions.
    Fees: Access is available through Maine's wide area network;  WAN users may contact the Maine Office of Information Technology, Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems (MEGIS) for a login.
Metadata_Reference_Information:
  Metadata_Date: 20081112
  Metadata_Review_Date: 20100113
  Metadata_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Organization: (MEGIS) Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems
      Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing address
        Address: State House Station 174
        City: Augusta
        State_or_Province: ME
        Postal_Code: 04333-0174
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 207 624-7700
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 207 287-3842
      Hours_of_Service: Monday through Friday 0800 - 1700 EST
  Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
  Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
  Metadata_Time_Convention: local time
  Metadata_Access_Constraints: none
  Metadata_Use_Constraints: none
