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An Act To Amend the Definition of "Territorial Waters" and Study Maine's Coastal Policies
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6001, sub-§48-B,  as enacted by PL 2001, c. 272, §2, is amended to read:
 
48-B. Territorial waters.   "Territorial waters" means all waters of the State within the rise and fall of the tide seaward to the 3-nautical-mile12-nautical-mile line as shown on the most recently published Federal Government nautical chart, but does not include areas above any fishway or dam when that fishway or dam is the dividing line between tidewater and fresh water.
Sec. 2. Development of policies, strategies and recommendations. The Department of Marine Resources and the Public Utilities Commission shall review the coastal management policies contained in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, chapter 19 and develop new policies that update those provisions, including, but not limited to, policies relating to aquaculture, energy development and ecosystem-based management of coastal and marine resources. The Department of Marine Resources and the Public Utilities Commission shall develop a strategy to provide measures of accountability to the Legislature and the general public by state agencies responsible for carrying out the recommendations of the bay management study conducted pursuant to Public Law 2003, chapter 660, Part B and for any future innovative management of coastal and marine resources. The Department of Marine Resources and the Public Utilities Commission shall develop policies and recommendations as directed by this Act and report those policies and recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources by January 5, 2008. The Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources may submit a bill during the Second Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature to implement the policies and recommendations of the report.
 
SUMMARY
This bill amends the definition of "territorial waters" in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, Part 9 to extend that area from 3 nautical miles to 12 nautical miles. It directs the Department of Marine Resources and the Public Utilities Commission to review the coastal management policies contained in Title 38, chapter 19 and develop new policies and recommendations to update those provisions. The bill also directs the Department of Marine Resources and the Public Utilities Commission to report their recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources by January 5, 2008.