An Act To Provide Economic Development in Aroostook County through Expanded Sale and Lease of State-owned Land
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0493
Committee Amendment CA_A_S86 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 186, L.D. 493, Bill, "An Act To 
Provide Economic Development in Aroostook County through Expanded Sale and Lease 
of State-owned Land" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, Directing the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry To 
Convey Certain Lands to Roosevelt Conference Center Doing Business as Eagle 
Lake Sporting Camps' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting the following: 
'Preamble. The Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 23 requires that real 
estate held by the State for conservation or recreation purposes may not be reduced or its 
uses substantially altered except on the vote of 2/3 of all members elected to each House. 
Whereas, certain real estate authorized for conveyance under this resolve is under 
the designations described in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 598-A; and 
Whereas, the Director of the Division of Parks and Public Lands within the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may sell or exchange lands with 
the approval of the Legislature in accordance with Title 12, sections 1837 and 1851; and 
Whereas, Aroostook County has experienced significant economic reductions over 
the last 20 years, with a 10.1 % unemployment rate, aging workforce and declining 
population; and 
Whereas, an existing business, Eagle Lake Sporting Camps, established in 1889 and 
located on Eagle Lake Public: Reserve Lands east of Route 11, desires to invest 
significantly in its business to grow into a year-round operation and to upgrade facilities 
and improve amenities, thus stimulating the economy, creating jobs and increasing local 
and state tax revenues; and 
Whereas, such investment would not be feasible or commitment made without the 
acquisition of fee simple ownership of sufficient land to develop and expand the business 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ")( " to S.P. 186, L.D. 493 
and without the lease of additional adjoining land to support a modern wilderness 
destination resort; and 
Whereas, the subject land is now used as a developed commercial sporting camp 
property, and no vital conservation land or wildlife habitat nor outdoor recreation 
opportunities, such as hunting and fishing, are affected by the change in land ownership, 
and the investment permitted by this conveyance would increase access and opportunities 
for public use of the Eagle Lake Public Reserve Lands; now, therefore, be it 
Sec. 1. Director of the Division of Parks and Public Lands to convey 
certain land in T16 R6. Resolved: That the Director of the Division of Parks and 
Public Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, referred 
to in this resolve as "the director," shall convey, by quitclaim deed without covenant and 
at appraised fair market value agreed to jointly by the director and the purchaser, to 
Roosevelt Conference Center, doing business as Eagle Lake Sporting Camps, and its 
successors and assigns, the land described in the lease of land in Township 16, Range 6 
current as of the effective date of this resolve from the State to Roosevelt Conference 
Center, doing business as Eagle Lake Sporting Camps, and such additional contiguous 
land as agreed to by the director and the purchaser to the east of the leased land for a total 
of 10 acres, subject to the State's retaining or withholding any rights to subdivide the land 
conveyed. In addition, the director shall convey to Eagle Lake Sporting Camps, for the 
appraised fair market value agreed jointly by the director and the purchaser, an access 
right-of-way that is no greater than 66 feet wide along the service road to the Square Lake 
Road. The conveyance of the right-of-way must include conditions that allow Eagle Lake 
Sporting Camps to maintain the road and make road improvements after acquiring prior 
written approval from the State. The conveyances required by this section must contain 
conditions granting the State the right of first refusal, within 90 days following notice by 
Eagle Lake Sporting Camps of intent to transfer the land or the right-of-way, to reacquire 
the parcel and the right-of-way at the appraised fair market value agreed to jointly by the 
director and the purchaser, if the use of the land for a year-round sporting camp or Class 
A restaurant, as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 28-A, section 2, subsection 
15, and lodge open to the public is discontinued or if Eagle Lake Sporting Camps fails to 
maintain appropriate licenses to conduct those activities from the Department of Health 
and Human Services. 
If the director intends to lease any land to Eagle Lake Sporting Camps other than that 
required by this resolve, the director shall provide an opportunity for and consider 
comments regarding public access to the Eagle Lake Public Reserve Lands from 
representatives authorized by the Town of Eagle Lake.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report. It replaces the bill with a resolve and changes 
the title. The resolve requires the Director of the Division of Parks and Public Lands 
within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to convey to Roosevelt 
Conference Center, doing business as Eagle Lake Sporting Camps, a 1O-acre parcel of 
land in Township 16, Range 6. The resolve requires the director to sell the land at fair 
market value and to retain or withhold any rights to subdivide. The director is also 
required by the resolve to convey to Eagle Lake Sporting Camps a right-of-way along the 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A.." to S.P. 186, L.D. 493 
service road to the Square Lake Road for appraised fair market value. The resolve also 
stipulates that the State must retain a right of first refusal to reacquire the parcel and right-
of-way from the owner if the use: of the parcel for a year-round sporting camp or Class A 
restaurant and lodge is discontinued or appropriate licenses are not maintained. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/03/13 ;tvac 
LD493 
LR 1487(02) 
An Act To Provide Economic Development in Aroostook County through Expanded Sale and Lease of 
State-owned Land 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '/it,:(5 -BlJ) 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium revenue increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
This legislation directs the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to convey certain lands and would 
result in an increase in Other Special Revenue Funds to the Public Reserved Lands Acquisition Fund. The amount of 
revenue received will not be known until an appraisal is completed. 
LR1487(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1