An Act To Restore Regular Mapping of Eelgrass Beds in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0559
Committee: Environment and Natural Resources
Sponsors: McCREIGHT, CARSON, ACKLEY, DODGE, HUTCHINS, TUCKER, TUELL, ZEIGLER, VITELLI
Amends: 38 MRSA §1805

Legislative Document
No. 559
H.P. 403
House of Representatives, February 5, 2019
An Act To Restore Regular Mapping of Eelgrass Beds in the State
Reference to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McCREIGHT of Harpswell.
Cosponsored by Senator CARSON of Cumberland and
Representatives: ACKLEY of Monmouth, DODGE of Belfast, HUTCHINS of Penobscot, 
TUCKER of Brunswick, TUELL of East Machias, ZEIGLER of Montville, Senator: VITELLI 
of Sagadahoc.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  38 MRSA §1805 is enacted to read:
§1805.  Eelgrass mapping
In accordance with the requirements of this section and in consultation with the 
Department of Marine Resources, the department shall establish and administer an 
eelgrass mapping program.  For the purposes of this section, "eelgrass" means the 
flowering marine plant species Zostera marina that is primarily found in shallow, 
protected intertidal and subtidal locations in the State.
1.  Mapping procedures.  The department shall in accordance with the schedule in 
subsection 2 facilitate the production and update of eelgrass distribution maps for eelgrass 
beds within the State.  The data collected and the maps produced in accordance with this 
section must, to the maximum extent practicable, be compatible with the State's 
geographic information system.
2.  Mapping schedule.  The mapping of eelgrass beds required under this section 
must be conducted in accordance with the following schedule.
A.  No later than November 1, 2020, mapping must be completed for that portion of 
the coast from Kittery to Cape Elizabeth and must be updated every 5 years 
thereafter.
B.  No later than November 1, 2021, mapping must be completed for that portion of 
the coast from Cape Elizabeth to Small Point and must be updated every 5 years 
thereafter.
C.  No later than November 1, 2022, mapping must be completed for that portion of 
the coast from Small Point to St. George and must be updated every 5 years 
thereafter.
D.  No later than November 1, 2023, mapping must be completed for that portion of 
the coast from St. George to the Schoodic Peninsula and must be updated every 5 
years thereafter.
E.  No later than November 1, 2024, mapping must be completed for that portion of 
the coast from the Schoodic Peninsula to Eastport and must be updated every 5 years 
thereafter.
3.  Availability of data and maps.  The department shall make available on its 
publicly accessible website the data collected and maps produced and updated under this 
section.
4.  Report.  On or before January 1, 2021, and biennially thereafter, the department 
shall submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
environmental and natural resources matters a report summarizing the data collected and 
maps produced under this section and including an analysis, if available, of the changes to 
the eelgrass beds within the State that are demonstrated by the data collected and maps 
produced under this section.
SUMMARY
This bill directs the Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the 
Department of Marine Resources, to establish and administer a program to regularly 
produce and update maps regarding the distribution of eelgrass beds in the State.  Data 
collected and maps produced under this program must be made available on the 
Department of Environmental Protection's publicly accessible website.  The Department 
of Environmental Protection is directed to submit to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over environmental and natural resources matters on or 
before January 1, 2021, and biennially thereafter, a report on the data collected and maps 
produced under this program.