Where every fact comes from.
Eight core public-record families, federal and state. Property Checks also use town records where available. This page is the core bibliography; town-specific sources vary by address.
We don't predict, value, or interpret. We organize what's already on the public record — and we tell you exactly where it came from.
-
FEMA NFHL Federal · refreshed 2026.04 National Flood Hazard Layer
The federal map of flood zones — the AE, X, V, and other zone designations you see on a flood determination — and the base flood elevations they reference. Issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Updated county by county as new studies are adopted.
See the official source -
MassGIS State · refreshed 2026.04 Massachusetts statewide GIS
The state's geographic-information layer — parcels, town boundaries, zoning where the town publishes it, soils, wetlands, conservation land. Maintained by the Bureau of Geographic Information inside the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security.
See the official source -
MC-FRM State · refreshed 2026.04 Massachusetts Coast Flood Risk Model
The state's coastal-flood scenario model, used by towns and CZM for planning. Models present-day, 2050, and 2070 storm-surge and tidal-flood scenarios for the Massachusetts coast. Not a prediction — a planning scenario.
See the official source -
NOAA Federal · refreshed 2026.04 National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Tide stations, sea-level context, storm-surge modeling. Used for tidal references, mean-higher-high-water benchmarks, and the public storm-surge layers that complement FEMA's flood maps.
See the official source -
USGS Federal · refreshed 2026.04 U.S. Geological Survey
The federal source for elevation, hydrography, and topographic data — including the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), which Lasting Ground uses for first-look ground elevation against the FEMA flood reference.
See the official source -
MassDEP State · refreshed 2026.04 Mass. Department of Environmental Protection
State-mapped wetlands, nitrogen-sensitive areas, and waterways. The agency that enforces the Wetlands Protection Act and other Massachusetts environmental statutes that touch what you can do at a parcel.
See the official source -
NHESP State · refreshed 2026.04 Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program
Priority Habitat and Estimated Habitat polygons — the state's mapped layers showing where rare-species protections may apply. Maintained by MassWildlife. Often relevant to coastal and rural parcels.
See the official source -
MACRIS State · refreshed 2026.04 Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System
The state's historic-resource inventory — districts, listings, and individual property records that drive whether a town's historic commission may need to weigh in on exterior work.
See the official source
Three things, plainly stated.
-
I
Every report row is sourced.
If a Property Check says something about your property, the record name appears on the same line. No anonymous opinions, no model interpretations.
-
II
Every supported finding carries source-date context.
Public records change. Each finding shows when its source was last current. If FEMA updates a map for your county, your next Property Check reflects it.
-
III
Every report is informational.
Lasting Ground organizes public-record context. We are not a survey, appraisal, attorney, engineer, insurer, lender, title company, inspector, or permitting authority.
Type your Massachusetts address.
See what's mapped before you commit. The full Property Check is $49, by email — yours to keep.
Free snapshot first · No subscription · Decide after
How it works · FAQ · Contact