An Act To Support Tourism on Public Reserved Lands by Leasing Sites to Commercial Sporting Camps
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1126
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: BLACK, DAVIS, DUCHESNE, HILLIARD, MARTIN, TIMBERLAKE, WOOD, CARPENTER, JACKSON, MASON
Amends: 12 MRSA §1852

Legislative Document
No. 1126
H.P. 789
House of Representatives, March 23, 2017
An Act To Support Tourism on Public Reserved Lands by Leasing 
Sites to Commercial Sporting Camps
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BLACK of Wilton.
Cosponsored by Senator DAVIS of Piscataquis and
Representatives: DUCHESNE of Hudson, HILLIARD of Belgrade, MARTIN of Sinclair, 
TIMBERLAKE of Turner, WOOD of Greene, Senators: CARPENTER of Aroostook, 
JACKSON of Aroostook, MASON of Androscoggin.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §1852, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2005, c. 462, Pt. C, §1 and 
affected by §2, is further amended to read: 
5.  Lease of public reserved land for private uses.  The director may lease 
campsites, observation stands, shelters, garages, depots, warehouses and other structures 
located on public reserved land, or sites for the same, for a term not exceeding 5 years 
and also: 
A.  May grant options to renew such leases for a further term not to exceed 15 years 
in the case of a commercial use that in the judgment of the director requires the 
option to secure adequate financing for the maintenance or improvement of facilities 
located on public reserved land; 
B.  In the case of leases acquired by the State on lands exchanged for public reserved 
lands, shall authorize, upon reasonable terms and conditions, the transfer of leasehold 
interests from one lessee of a residential campsite to another; and 
C.  With respect to persons with residential leasehold interests in public reserved 
lands on October 1, 1975 or on lands exchanged for public reserved lands or on lands 
acquired with Land for Maine's Future Board funds with respect to residential and 
camp owner leases in existence on or before November 30, 2005, shall enter into new 
leasehold agreements with those persons and thereafter renew those leases from time 
to time on reasonable terms and conditions as long as the lessee complies with the 
terms and conditions of the leases and with all applicable laws and rules of the State.; 
and 
D.  On the request of an owner of a commercial sporting camp, as defined in section 
682, subsection 14, that is located on or adjacent to public reserved land, the director 
shall lease and may renew leases on sites located on the public reserved land for 
observation stands or shelters and shall convey an appropriate trail easement up to 
one mile in length, including any renewal, commensurate with the site lease or 
renewal as follows: 
(1)  The number of such site leases may not exceed the number of lodging rooms 
in the commercial sporting camp; and 
(2)  The location of each leased site and trail easement must be as requested by 
the owner of the commercial sporting camp unless the director determines the 
location to be inconsistent with other uses of the public reserved land or with 
applicable laws or rules. 
The annual fee for camp leases under this subsection may not exceed 10% of the fair 
market value of the land, as determined once during each 5-year lease term by the State 
Tax Assessor.  Notwithstanding this subsection, there must be a minimum annual camp 
lease fee of $150 and a minimum annual commercial sporting camp observation stand or 
shelter lease fee of $100. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides that the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may lease observation stands and 
shelters and convey trail easements on public lands for private use, in addition to 
campsites, garages and other structures that currently may be leased.  It provides that the 
director must lease up to one observation stand or shelter and convey up to a mile of trail 
easement for each lodging room at a commercial sporting camp. It specifies that the site 
location and trail easement must be as requested by the commercial sporting camp owner 
unless the director determines the location is inconsistent with other uses of the public 
reserved land or with applicable laws or rules. It provides for a minimum annual 
commercial sporting camp observation stand or shelter lease fee of $100.