Bill > S1470

This bill modifies regulations concerning the use of state-owned submerged lands, which are lands underwater that belong to the state. It requires the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, the state agency responsible for managing these lands, to update their rules for certain uses of these lands. Specifically, the bill introduces provisions for calculating lease fees for marinas, offering discounts for marinas that are largely open to the public and participate in the "Clean Marina" program, and waiving certain surcharges for these designated marinas. It also clarifies that leases for water-dependent facilities on state land are considered private unless at least 90 percent of the slips are open to the general public without special requirements and have rental terms of one year or less. Furthermore, the bill allows the trustees to issue permits for special events and boat shows, including temporary structures, and requires the Department of Environmental Protection to issue general permits for these events, which will have specific requirements regarding environmental studies and surveys to ensure lease boundaries are respected, especially for longer-term permits.