CHAPTER 134

S.P. 183 - L.D. 574

An Act To Amend Provisions of the Submerged Lands Laws

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §1801, sub-§9, ¶A, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 678, §13, is amended to read:

A. All land from the mean low-water mark or a maximum of 1,650 feet seaward of the mean high-water mark, whichever is closer to the mean high-water mark, out to the seaward boundary of coastal territorial waters as defined in section 6001;

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §1862, sub-§1, ¶D-1 is enacted to read:

D-1.__"Large-scale project" means a project that extends beyond localized development adjacent to a single facility or property.__"Large-scale project" does not include a project such as a pier, marina or boatyard or utility cables and pipelines serving neighboring communities or islands.__ "Large-scale project" includes, but is not limited to, an offshore wind farm, an offshore tanker port, an interstate or international pipeline or cable and similar projects.

Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §1862, sub-§2, ¶E, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 678, §13, is amended to read:

E. Beginning January 1, 1997, the maximum rent to which any lease is subject may not exceed $1,200 per year. The $1,200 limit does not apply to a large-scale project.__The director shall establish through rulemaking criteria for determining a project's designation as a large-scale project and