An Act To Protect Maine's Beaches and Shoreline
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0774
Committee: Environment and Natural Resources
Sponsors: GRAMLICH, FOLEY, BABINE, BLUME, CAMPBELL, ZEIGLER, CARSON, CHENETTE, MOORE
Amends: 38 MRSA §1801

Legislative Document
No. 774
H.P. 579
House of Representatives, February 12, 2019
An Act To Protect Maine's Beaches and Shoreline
Reference to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach.
Cosponsored by Senator FOLEY of York and
Representatives: BABINE of Scarborough, BLUME of York, CAMPBELL of Orrington, 
McCREIGHT of Harpswell, ZEIGLER of Montville, Senators: CARSON of Cumberland, 
CHENETTE of York, MOORE of Washington.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  38 MRSA §1801, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 794, Pt. A, §11, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place:
3.  Beach and shoreline management, protection and access.  Support beach and 
shoreline management that gives preference to water-dependent uses over other uses, that 
mitigates the effects of coastal erosion on beaches and the shoreline, that keeps beaches 
and the shoreline healthy for habitat protection for coastal wildlife species and for 
protection against storms, that promotes public access to beaches and the shoreline and 
that considers the cumulative effects of development on coastal resources;
Sec. 2.  Beach advisory group.  In accordance with the provisions of this section, 
the Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall convene an advisory group on beach 
management, referred to in this section as "the group." 
1.  The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall determine the membership 
of the group, except that the commissioner shall invite the participation in the group of a 
member of the Senate; a member of the House of Representatives; the Commissioner of 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; the Director of the Bureau of Resource Information and 
Land Use Planning within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; the 
director of the Maine coastal zone management program within the Department of 
Marine Resources; a representative of a regional coastal planning and development 
commission or council; a representative of an organization that represents the interests of 
municipalities in the State; a representative of an organization that represents the interests 
of the tourism or recreational industry in the State; and a representative of an 
environmental advocacy organization with specific expertise in coastal environmental 
matters.  The Department of Environmental Protection, as necessary and within existing 
resources, shall provide staffing services to the group.
2.  In addition to developing and recommending objectives, strategies, legislation and 
other actions to mitigate coastal erosion in the State and to keep the State's beaches 
healthy for protection against storms, for habitat protection for coastal wildlife species 
and for recreational uses, the group shall review the report titled "Integrated Beach 
Management Program Working Group Report," dated January 2017 and submitted to the 
Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources in the First Regular 
Session of the 128th Legislature pursuant to Resolve 2015, chapter 66, update the data 
and findings contained in that report, if necessary, and review and update the specific 
recommendations for legislative, regulatory or other actions contained in that report, if 
necessary.
3.  No later than February 15, 2020, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection 
shall submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural 
Resources containing the findings and recommendations of the group following its 
review and update of the 2017 report referenced in subsection 2, including any proposed 
legislation necessary to implement those recommendations.  After reviewing the report, 
the committee may report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 129th 
Legislature to implement recommendations contained in the report.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the State's coastal management policies laws to ensure that those 
policies address the effects of coastal erosion on the State's beaches and shoreline and 
ensure the health of the State's beaches and shoreline for habitat protection for coastal 
wildlife species and for protection against storms.
The bill also creates an advisory group on beach management, to be convened by the 
Commissioner of Environmental Protection for the purpose of developing and 
recommending objectives, strategies, legislation and other actions to mitigate coastal 
erosion in the State and to keep beaches healthy for storm protection, habitat protection 
for coastal wildlife species and for recreational use.  The group is directed to review the 
report titled "Integrated Beach Management Program Working Group Report," dated 
January 2017 and submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and 
Natural Resources in the First Regular Session of the 128th Legislature, update the data 
and findings contained in that report, if necessary, and review and update the specific 
recommendations for legislative, regulatory or other actions contained in that report, if 
necessary.  No later than February 15, 2020, the commissioner is required to submit a 
report to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources 
containing the findings and recommendations of the group following its review of the 
2017 report, including any proposed legislation necessary to implement those 
recommendations.  After reviewing the report, the committee may report out legislation 
to implement those recommendations.