An Act To Transfer Ownership and Management of Swan Island and Little Swan Island in Perkins Township, Sagadahoc County to the Department of Conservation
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0398
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: GOODALL, BERRY, McCORMICK, FOSSEL, PERCY, TREAT, WATSON
Amends: 12 MRSA §12701, 12 MRSA §12708

Legislative Document 
No. 398 
S.P.140 
In Senate, February 5, 2009 
An Act To Transfer Ownership and Management of Swan Island 
and Little Swan Island in Perkins Township, Sagadahoc County to 
the Department of Conservation 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator GOODALL of Sagadahoc. 
Cosponsored by Representative BERRY of Bowdoinham and 
9t8(J~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: McCORMICK of Kennebec, Representatives: FOSSEL of Alna, MacDONALD of 
Boothbay, PERCY of Phippsburg, TREAT of Hallowell, WATSON of Bath. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People ofthe State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §12701, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. KKKK, 
§ 1, is further amended to read: 
4. Fees. The commissioner may establish reasonable fees for admission to the 
Maine Wildlife Park and the Steve Powell Wildlife Management Area at Perkins 
Township, Sagadahoc County, !mown as SVlan Island and Little Svmn Island. F-ees 
associated ';vith the Steve Pmvell \,Vildlife Management Area must be deposited into a 
dedicated revenue account. In addition to those fees, the commissioner may accept and 
deposit into the dedicated revenue account money from any other source. public or 
nrivate. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §12708, sub-§l, ,s, as amended by PL 2007, c. 463, §7, is 
further amended to read: 
B. The following areas are classified as state-owned wildlife management areas, or 
"WMAs": 
(1) 
Blanchard/AuClair WMA (Roach River Corridor) - Tl R14 WELS -
Piscataquis County; 
(2) Brownfield WMA - Brownfield, Denmark, Fryeburg - Oxford County; 
(3) 
George Buclmam WMA (Belgrade Stream) - Mt. Vernon - Kennebec 
County; 
(4) Caesar Pond WMA - Bowdoin - Sagadahoc County; 
(5) Chesterville WMA - Chesterville - Franklin County; 
(6) Coast of Maine WMA - all state-owned coastal islands that are owned or 
managed by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; 
(7) Dickwood Lake WMA - Eagle Lake - Aroostook County; 
(8) Francis D. Dunn WMA (Sawtelle Deadwater) - T6 R7 WELS - Penobscot 
County; 
(9) Fahi Pond WMA - Embden - Somerset County; 
(10) Lyle Frost WMA (formerly Scammon) - Eastbrook, Franklin - Hancock 
County; 
(11) 
Alonzo H. Garcelon WMA (Mud Mill Flowage) - Augusta, Windsor, 
Vassalboro - Kennebec County; 
(12) Great Works WMA - Edmunds Township - Washington County; 
(13) 
Jamies Pond WMA - Manchester, Farmingdale, Hallowell - Kennebec 
County; 
(14) Jonesboro WMA - Jonesboro - Washington County; 
(15) Earle R. Kelley WMA (Dresden Bog) - Alna, Dresden - Lincoln County; 
) 
), 
,/ 
) 
n 
( 
; 
"~~ 
\ 
I 
'------./ 
(16) Kermebunk Plains WMA - Kermebunk - York County; 
(17) Bud Leavitt WMA (Bull Hill) - Atkinson, Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, 
Garland - Penobscot County and Piscataquis County; 
(18) 
Gene Letourneau WMA (Frye Mountain) - Montville, Knox, Morrill -
Waldo County; 
(19) Long Lake WMA - St. Agatha - Aroostook County (all of Long Lake within 
the Town of St. Agatha); 
(20) Madawaska WMA - Palmyra - Somerset County; 
(20-A) Maine Youth Conservation WMA - T32MD - Hancock County; 
(21) Mainstream WMA - Cambridge, Ripley - Somerset County; 
(22) 
Lt. Gordon Manuel WMA - Hodgdon, Cary Plantation, Lirmeus -
Aroostook County; 
(23) 
Maynard F. Marsh WMA (Killick Pond) - Hollis, Limington - York 
County; 
(24) Mercer Bog WMA - Mercer - Somerset County; 
(25) 
Merrymeeting Bay WMA - Dresden, Bowdoinham, Woolwich, Bath, 
Topsham - Lincoln County and Sagadahoc County; 
(26) Morgan Meadow WMA - Raymond - Cumberland County; 
(27) Mt. Agamenticus WMA - York, South Berwick - York County; 
(28) Muddy River WMA - Topsham - Sagadahoc County; " 
(29) Narraguagus Junction WMA - Cherryfield - Washington County; 
(30) Old Pond Farm WMA - Maxfield, Howland - Penobscot County; 
(31) Orange River WMA - Whiting - Washington County; 
(32) Peaks Island WMA - Portland - Cumberland County; 
(33) Permamaquam WMA - Pembroke, Charlotte - Washington County; 
(34) Steve Powell l,\'},t{A 
Perkins Township 
Sagadahoc County (being the 
islands in the Kennebec River near Richmond !mown as Swan Island and Little 
Swan Island, fonnerly !mOVlfl as Ale)cunder Islands); 
(35) David Priest WMA (Dwinal Pond) - Lee, Winn - Penobscot County; 
(36) James Dorso Ruffingham Meadow WMA - Montville, Searsmont - Waldo 
County; 
(37) st. Albans WMA - st. Albans - Somerset County; 
(38) Sandy Point WMA - Stockton Springs - Waldo County; 
(39) Scarborough WMA - Scarborough, Old Orchard Beach, Saco - Cumberland 
County and York County; 
(40) Steep Falls WMA - Standish, Baldwin - Cumberland County; 
(41) Tyler Pond WMA - Manchester, Augusta - Kennebec County; 
(42) Vernon S. WalkerWMA - Newfield, Shapleigh - York County; 
(43) R. Waldo Tyler Weskeag Marsh WMA - South Thomaston, Thomaston, 
Rockland, Owl's Head - Knox County; 
(43-A) 
Kennebec River Estuary WMA - Arrowsic, Bath, Georgetown, 
Phippsburg, West Bath, Woolwich - Sagadahoc County; 
(43-B) Tolla Wolla WMA - Livermore - Androscoggin County; 
(43-C) Green Point WMA - Dresden - Lincoln County; 
(43-D) Hurds Pond WMA - Swanville - Waldo County; 
(43-E) Sherman Lake WMA - Newcastle, Damariscotta - Lincoln County; 
(43-F) Ducktrap River WMA - Belmont, Lincolnville - Waldo County; and 
(44) 
Such other areas as the commissioner designates, by rules adopted in 
accordance with section 12701, as state-owned wildlife management areas. 
Sec. 3. Designation of Swan Island and Little Swan Island as a state park. 
The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife shall transfer to the Department of 
Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands control and management responsibilities for 
state-owned land on Swan Island and Little Swan Island classified prior to the effective 
date of this Act as a wildlife management area under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
12, section 12708, subsection 1, paragraph B, subparagraph 34. 
The bureau shall accept control and management of these lands in accordance with 
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 1815. The Director of the Bureau of Parks 
and Lands shall classify these lands as a park and manage these lands consistent with 
Title 12, chapter 220, subchapter 2. The bureau may not allow uses that will substantially 
alter the essential purpose for holding the land as defined in Title 12, section 598, 
subsection 5. 
-' 
Sec. 4. Transfer of fumds. No later than 15 days following the effective date of 
this Act, the Treasurer of State shall transfer the balance of funds in the dedicated account 
established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 12701, subsection 4 to the 
Maine State Parks and Recreational Facilities Development Fund established under Title 
12, section 1825, subsection 1. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides for the transfer of control and management responsibilities for 
state-owned land on Swan Island and Little Swan Island in Perkins Township, Sagadahoc 
County from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to the Department of 
Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands. 
) 
) 
)