An Act To Design and Implement a Pilot Program for Improved Fishing on Mount Desert Island That May Serve as a Model for Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1104
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: KOFFMAN
Amends: 12 MRSA §6136, 12 MRSA §10108

Legislative Document 
No. 1104 
H.P.757 
House of Representatives, March 1,2005 
An Act To Design and Implement a Pilot Program for Improved 
Fishing on Mount Desert Island That May Serve as a Model for 
Maine 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative KOFFMAN of Bar Harbor. 
Printed on recycled paper 
'77/~ /J7. 71}u~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6136 is enacted to ren(1: 
§6l36. 
Alewife management; Mount Desert Island 
The commissioner, 
in consul tat ion 
wi th the Department of 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, shall adopt rules to restore fish 
passage and manage alewives in Long Fond, Mount Desert Island. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §10108, sub-§12 is enacted to read: 
12. 
Mount Desert Island fisheries management program. 
The 
commissioner shall establish a fisheries management program for 
the purpose of reestablishing salmon, 
brook trout and alewife 
fisheries on Mount Desert Island. 
A. The commissioner shall develop and implement the program 
in collaboration with the Department of Marine Resources and 
other 
appropriate 
federaL 
state 
and 
local 
government 
entities. 
B. 
In establishing the program, the commissioner shall: 
(1) 
Adopt rules to restore, enhance and protect wild 
and stocked landlocked salmon that include, but are not 
limited to, a daily catch limit of 2 salmon with only 
one fish exceeding 24 inches and a reguirement that any 
salmon between 20 and 24 inches be released alive. The 
rules must address, 
but are not limited to, 
issues 
concerning Long Fond and Echo Lake; 
(2) 
Adopt rules to restore, enhance and protect wild 
brook trout that include, but are not limited to, 
a 
minimum length limit of 
inches 
for 
keeping brook 
trout; and 
(3) 
Develop 
and 
implement 
a 
plan to 
minimize 
the 
negative impact of competing species on salmon, brook 
trout and alewives. 
C. 
The commissioner shall work with appropriate federal, 
state and local government entities to the maximum extent 
possible 
to 
implement 
the 
program. 
At 
a 
minimum, 
the 
commissioner 
shall 
make 
recommendations 
to 
appropriate 
federal, 
state 
and 
local 
government 
entities 
regarding 
salmon in Eagle Lake and Jordan Fond and brook trout in 
streams within Acadia National Park. 
Page l-LR1268(1) 
D. 
The Commissioner of Marine Resources, 
in consultation 
with the 
department, 
shall adopt 
rules 
to 
restore fish 
passage and manage alewives in Long Pond. 
E. The commissioner, in collaboration with the Department of 
Marine 
Resources 
and 
in 
consultation 
with 
appropriate 
federal, state and local government entities, shall prepare 
and submit an annual evaluation report to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland 
fisheries 
and 
wildlife 
matters 
and 
the 
joint 
standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over marine 
resources matters. 
The 
report must 
address, 
but is not 
limited to, the impact of the fisheries management program 
on 
fish 
ecology, 
angler 
satisfaction, 
tourism 
and 
the 
regional 
economy. 
The 
report 
must 
include 
findings 
and 
recommendations on the applicability of the program to the 
improved 
management 
of 
state 
recreational 
fishing. 
The 
first annual report is due March 31, 2006. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical 
rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 
3. 
Program 
development. 
The 
development 
of 
the 
fisheries 
management 
program 
pursuant 
to 
the 
Maine 
Revised 
Statutes, Title 12, section 10108, subsection 12 must begin 120 
days following adjournment of the First Regular Session of the 
122nd Legislature and the program must be fully implemented 2 
years after that date. 
JO 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes a pilot fisheries management program 
]4 
to restore, enhance and protect salmon, brook trout and alewives 
in the inland waters of Mount Desert Island and to serve as a 
possible model statewide. 
The Department of Inland Fisheries and 
Wildlife is required to develop and implement the program in 
collaboration with the Department of Marine Resources and other 
appropr iate federal, state and local government entities. 
The 
bill requires annual evaluation reports of the program to 
be 
submitted to the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters 
and 
the 
joint 
standing 
committee 
of 
the 
Legislature 
having 
jurisdiction over marine resources matters beginning March 31, 
2006.