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ME LD529

ME LD529
An Act to Establish the Alamoosook Lake Watershed Management District

summary

Introduced
02/11/2025
In Committee
02/11/2025
Crossed Over
06/12/2025
Passed
06/13/2025
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
06/18/2025

Introduced Session

132nd Legislature

Bill Summary

An Act to Establish the Alamoosook Lake Watershed Management District Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and Whereas, the current owner of the dam on Alamoosook Lake has petitioned the Department of Environmental Protection for release from ownership of that dam and all property rights necessary to maintain and operate that dam under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, chapter 5, subchapter 1, article 6; and Whereas, pursuant to Title 38, chapter 5, subchapter 1, article 6, a dam owner petitioning for release from ownership is required to consult with the persons listed in Title 38, section 902, subsection 3 to determine if any of those persons wish to assume ownership of the dam; and Whereas, the municipalities in which a dam is located are included in the mandatory consultation procedure under Title 38, section 902, and the consultation period for a municipality is significantly time-limited to 180 days after the date a petition for release from dam ownership is filed by the dam owner, with the opportunity for one extension of 180 days following that initial period; and Whereas, the watershed management district established in this legislation is designed to assume ownership of the dam on Alamoosook Lake and to subsequently maintain and operate that dam, including coordinating water level management, on Alamoosook Lake; and Whereas, the watershed management district must therefore be established prior to the expiration of the statutory period in Title 38, section 902 to effectuate and implement the municipal consultation procedure; and Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

AI Summary

This bill establishes the Alamoosook Lake Watershed Management District, a quasi-municipal corporation located in the Town of Orland, Maine, with the primary purpose of acquiring, owning, and maintaining the dam on Alamoosook Lake. The district will be governed by a five-member board of trustees, consisting of three members appointed by the Town of Orland and two elected by waterfront property owners, with staggered initial terms and subsequent three-year terms. The district will have the power to develop operational rules, levy assessments on waterfront property owners, enter into cooperative agreements, and is responsible for dam management, watershed improvements, and financial administration. Funding for the district will be split equally between the Town of Orland (50%) and waterfront property owners (50%), with assessments based on shoreline frontage. The bill includes provisions for budget development, public hearings, and a town meeting vote on municipal contributions. The district's establishment is subject to a referendum by the legal voters of the Town of Orland, which must be held between June 1, 2025, and within two years of the Act's effective date. The district is tax-exempt, qualifies for state funding, and can be dissolved or withdrawn from under specific conditions, with the goal of ensuring effective management of the Alamoosook Lake watershed.

Committee Categories

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Sponsors (5)

Last Action

Governor's Action: Emergency Signed, Jun 18, 2025 (on 06/18/2025)

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