An Act To Establish Cleaning Stations for Boats Entering Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0552
Committee: Natural Resources
Sponsors: BLAIS, RECTOR, BERUBE
Amends: 38 MRSA §1862

Legislative Document 
No. 552 
S.P.192 
In Senate, February 6, 2003 
An Act To Establish Cleaning Stations for Boats Entering Maine 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Natural Resources suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator BLAIS of Kennebec. 
Cosponsored by Representative RECTOR of Thomaston and 
Representative: BERUBE of Lisbon. 
Printed on recycled paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Emergency preamble. Whereas. Acts of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted 
as emergencies; and 
Whereas, Maine's lakes and ponds are some of the 
most 
valuable 
resources 
for 
the 
economy, 
tourism 
enjoyment of residents and nonresidents alike; and 
State's 
and 
the 
Whereas, the wa te r 
qual i t Y 
f 
Mai ne ' slake s 
and ponds is 
among the best in the nation; and 
Whereas, the proliferation of invasive plants and animals 
from outside the State has already become a major problem for the 
water quality, productivity and enjoyment of the State's lakes 
and ponds; and 
Whereas, the protection of the lakes and ponds in the State 
from invasive plants and animals is most important in the summer 
when boaters from outside the State travel to Maine to enjoy the 
lakes and ponds; 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, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §1862, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 434, Pt. A, 
§7, is amended to read: 
§1862. 
Program to prevent infestation of and to control invasive 
aquatic plants 
1. 
Program. 
The 
commissioner 
and 
the 
Commissioner 
of 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife jointly shall implement a program 
to inspect watercraft, watercraft trailers and outboard motors at 
or near the border of the State and at boat launching sites for 
the 
presence 
of 
invasive 
aquatic 
plants 
and 
to 
provide 
educational materials to the public and to watercraft owners 
regarding invasive aquatic plants. 
2. 
Other 
inspection 
stations 
allowed. 
The 
program 
established under this section also may include inspections at 
boat launching sites on inland waters that are already infested 
and at boat launching sites on the inland waters that have been 
identified as most at risk of introduction of invasive aquatic 
plants. 
Page l-LR0291(1) 
A. 
Cleaning 
stations. 
An 
inspection 
station 
under 
subsection 1 that is located at or near the border of the State 
must have equipment to clean an infested watercraft, watercraft 
trailer or outboard motor. 
An inspector or agent of the State 
shall 
immediately 
clean 
a 
watercraft, 
watercraft trailer or 
outboard motor that fails inspection. 
3. 
Informational material to be provided. 
The 
program 
established under this section must provide for the distribution 
of informational material on invasive aquatic plants, including a 
guide to identifying those plants, information on how to prevent 
the spread of those plants and information on the potential 
environmental 
impact 
and 
other 
impacts 
of 
infestation. 
Informational material regarding invasive aquatic plants and the 
reguirements of Title 12, 
section 7794-C must be 
handed to 
boaters traveling north at the southernmost toll booth of the 
Maine Turnpike. 
Informational 
road signs informing motorists 
entering the State of the requirements of Title 12, 
section 
7794 C, must be located at any road that is a major access point 
to the State. 
3-A. 
ISSuance of stickers and certificates. 
An inspection 
station under subsection 1 that is located at or near the border 
of the State shall issue the lake and river protection stickers 
created by Title 12, section 7794 B. 
An inspector under this 
program shall issue a certificate of inspection if a watercraft, 
watercraft trailer or outboard motor passes inspection. 
4. 
Program implementation. 
During the 2001 boating season, 
the 
department 
and 
the 
Department 
of 
Inland 
Fisheries 
and 
Wildlife shall 
spend at least 5,000 
person hours 
inspecting 
watercraft, watercraft trailers and outboard motors at selected 
boat launching sites and at no fewer than 10 roadside locations 
at or near the state border. 
In 2001, the program established 
under this section also must include an extensive educational 
effort involving a variety of media with the goal of informing 
the public of the risks posed by invasive aquatic plants, how to 
inspect watercraft, watercraft trailers and outboard motors for 
the presence of 
invasive aquatic plant material 
and 
how 
to 
properly dispose of that material. 
The program also must include 
other invasive aquatic plant-related inspection or educational 
efforts 
considered 
appropriate 
by 
the 
commissioner 
and 
the 
Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. 
The program in 2002 and subsequent years must be at a level of 
effort determined by the commissioner and the Commissioner of 
Inland 
Fisheries 
and 
Wildlife 
in 
consultation 
with 
the 
Interagency Task Force on Invasive Aquatic Plant and Nuisance 
Species, as established in section 1871. 
The 
department 
and 
the 
Department 
of 
Inland 
Fisheries 
and 
Wildlife shall fully implement the provisions of subsection 2-A 
before dedicating funds 
from 
the Invasive Aguatic Plant and 
Nuisance Species Fund, established in section 1863, to implement 
other elements of the program. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires that: 
1. 
Informational material 
regarding the 
requirements of 
boaters to purchase a lake and river protection sticker and the 
reasons for the sticker be handed to boaters driving north on the 
Maine Turnpike and on informational signs on roads leading into 
the State; 
2. 
Cleaning equipment be located at invasive aquatic plant 
inspection stations that are at or near the borders of the State; 
3. 
Inspectors or other 
clean watercraft, watercraft 
fail inspection; 
agents of the State 
trailers or outboard 
immediately 
motors that 
4. 
Inspection stations at or near the borders of the State 
issue lake and river protection stickers and certificates of 
inspection 
for 
watercraft, 
watercraft 
trailers 
and 
outboard 
motors that pass inspection; and 
5. 
Proceeds of the Invasive Aquatic Plant and Nuisance 
Species Fund be used to establish cleaning stations before being 
spent on other elements of the program to prevent infestation of 
and to control invasive aquatic plants.