An Act To Establish a Process To Review Requests for Regulating the Use of Watercraft on Great Ponds and To Prohibit the Use of Personal Watercraft on Lake St. George Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the following: Sec. 1. 12MRSA §7800·B is enacted to read: §7800-B. ReCOmmendations for regulating use, operation and type of watercraft for great ponds within organized areas of State 1. RecOD!!llendations. A municipality, with the approval of its legislative body, or the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission, referred to as in this section "the commission," may submit recommendations to the commissioner for regUlating the use, operation and type of watercraft on great ponds within the jurisdiction of that municipality or the commission. For great ponds that border more than one municipality, recommendations may be submitted only after approval by the legislative bodies of all municipalities in which those waters are located. For great ponds that border lands within the jurisdiction of the commission, the Page l-LR1130(3) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0647
Committee Amendment CA_A_H389 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §7801

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " Ii, to H. P. 477, L. D. 
Act To Prohibit Personal Watercraft on Lake St. 
Town of Liberty" 
647, Bill, "An 
George in the 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting 
the following: 
'An Act To Establish a Process To Review Requests for Regulating 
the Use of Watercraft on Great Ponds and To Prohibit the Use of 
Personal Watercraft on Lake St. George' 
Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the 
enacting clause and before the summary and inserting in its place 
the following: 
'Sec. 1. 12MRSA §7800·B is enacted to read: 
§7800-B. 
ReCOmmendations for regulating use, operation and type 
of watercraft for great ponds within organized areas 
of State 
1. 
RecOD!!llendations. 
A municipality, with the approval of 
its 
legislative 
body, 
or 
the 
Maine 
Land 
Use 
Regulation 
Commission, referred to as in this section "the commission," may 
submit recommendations to the commissioner for regUlating the 
use, operation and type of watercraft on great ponds within the 
jurisdiction of that municipality or the commission. 
For great 
ponds that border more than one municipality, recommendations may 
be submitted only after approval by the legislative bodies of all 
municipalities in which those waters are located. For great ponds 
that border lands within the jurisdiction of the commission, the 
Page l-LR1130(3) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
r..~. 
~.~' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. If· to H.P. 477. L.D. 647 
approval 
of 
the 
commission is also 
required. 
In preparing 
recommendations for such waters. a municipality or the commission 
shall take into consideration the following: 
A. 
The current and traditional uses of the water body; 
B. 
The depth of the water and the amount of water-borne 
traffic; 
C. 
Wildlife habitat and other environmental values; 
D. 
Noise levels and the safety of persons and property; and 
E. 
Concerns unique to the affected communities. including, 
but not limited to, access. land use and economic impact. 
These 
recommendations 
may 
be 
submitted only after 
a 
public 
hearing and must include a 
description of the resources the 
municipality 
or 
municipalities 
will 
use 
to 
enforce 
those 
regulations 
if 
enacted. 
The 
commission 
may 
submit 
recommendations only after haying held a public hearing near the 
affected area or at the nearest municipality to the affected area. 
2. 
Submitting 
recommendations 
to 
coumissioner. 
When 
submitting recommendations to the commissioner. the municipality 
or 
the 
commission 
shall. 
at 
a 
minimum, 
submit 
detailed 
information about the following: 
A. 
Consideration of the items enumerated in subsection 1; 
B. 
Plans for local enforcement efforts; 
C. 
Public notice efforts taken by the municipality or the 
commission; 
D. 
The 
process 
used 
to 
make 
recommendations 
and 
the 
decision by the local governing body; and 
E. 
A discussion of alternatives considered. whether or not 
those 
alternatiyes 
were 
incorporated 
into 
the 
final 
recommendations. 
A municipality or the Commission must submit its recommendations 
and supporting documentation to the commissioner no later than 
October 31st of each year in order to be considered by the 
Legislature during the following regular legislative session. 
3. 
Commissioner evaluation. 
By January 15th of each year. 
the commissioner shall submit to the joint standing committee of 
the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over inland fisheries and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~. 
~. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,,~ to H.P. 477, L.D. 647 
wildlife matters 
recommendations 
submitted under this section 
during 
the 
prior 
calendar 
year. 
Before 
submitting 
recommendations to the Legislature. the commissioner shall assign 
each recommendation to one of the following categories: 
A. 
"Complete." which means that the recommendation meets 
all the requirements of this section and provides specific 
and 
detailed 
information 
about 
key 
elements 
of 
those 
requirements; 
B. 
"Generally 
complete. " 
which 
means 
that 
the 
recommendation meets all the requirements of this section 
but 
is 
vague 
or 
silent 
on 
key 
elements 
of 
those 
requirements; or 
C. 
"Not complete," which means that the recommendation does 
not meet all the requirements of this section. 
The cOmmissioner shall submit all recommendations and supporting 
material as prescribed in this subsection. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §7801, sub-§35, '~E and FF, as enacted by PL 
2001, c. 638, §5, are amended to read: 
EE. 
Middle Branch Pond in the Town of Waterboro in York 
County; 9!' 
FF. 
Highland Lake or Woods Pond in the Town of Bridgton in 
Cumberland County if the personal watercraft is rented and 
does not display a decal identifying the rental agency that 
owns the personal watercraftT~ 
Sec.3. 12 MRSA §7801, sub-§35, ,GG is enacted to read: 
GG. 
Lake St. George in the Town of Liberty.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and establishes a process 
for the review of recommendations submitted by a municipality or 
the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission to restrict the use of 
watercraft 
on 
great 
ponds 
within 
the 
jurisdiction of 
that 
municipality or the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission. 
This 
amendment also prohibits the use of personal watercraft on Lake 
St. George in the Town of Liberty. 
FISCAL NOTE REQillRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 05/09/03 ~aC! 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD647 
An Act To Establish a Process to Review Requests for Regulating the Use 
of Watercraft on Great Ponds and to Limit the Horse Power of 
Watercraft on Lake St. George 
LRl130(03) 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" " 
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor revenue increase - General Fund 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements: 
Establishes a new civil violation and Class E crime. 
LRl130(3) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1