Resolve, Authorizing the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands to Enter into Certain Leases
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1659
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: BLACK

Legislative Document
No. 1659
S.P. 664
In Senate, April 13, 2023
Resolve, Authorizing the Department of Agriculture, Conservation 
and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands to Enter into Certain 
Leases
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BLACK of Franklin.
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 leasing by this resolve is under the 
designations described in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 598-A; and
Whereas, the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may lease public reserved lands and state park 
lands for utilities in accordance with Title 12, section 1814 and section 1852, subsection 4, 
respectively; and
Whereas, the Bureau of Parks and Lands previously issued leases for electric power 
and telecommunications pursuant to these laws, and those leases have expired or will soon 
expire; and
Whereas, Title 12, section 1852, subsection 4 provides that poles and electric power 
transmission and telecommunications lines and facilities are deemed to substantially alter 
public reserved lands and any 25-year lease of public reserved lands for such uses requires 
2/3 approval of all members elected to each House; and
Whereas, the Bureau of Parks and Lands has begun drafting, but not yet provisionally 
adopted, the major substantive rules required by Title 12, section 598-C, pursuant to which 
the Bureau of Parks and Lands will establish a public administrative process for 
determining whether a proposed activity on designated lands under the jurisdiction of the 
bureau would cause the land to be reduced or its uses substantially altered; now, therefore, 
be it
Sec. 1. Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands is authorized, but not 
directed, to lease certain land within Dyer Township, Washington County. 
Resolved:  That the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may lease to Greg Tantimonico and Ronald Wright, 
on such terms and conditions as the director may direct, certain land within the St. Croix 
Waterway in Dyer Township, T.1, R.2, T.S., Washington County. This land is designated 
as state park land, and the lease is for an existing aboveground electric line for camp lots.  
The lease area occupies approximately 0.5 acres, and the original lease was signed by the 
bureau in 2018 and expires on June 30, 2023.
Sec. 2. Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands is authorized, but not 
directed, to lease certain land within the Town of Sullivan, Hancock County. 
Resolved:  That the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may lease to Versant Power, formerly Bangor 
Hydro Electric, on such terms and conditions as the director may direct, certain land within 
Donnell Pond Public Reserved Lands in the Town of Sullivan, Hancock County. The lease 
is for an existing 30-foot-wide utility corridor and occupies approximately 0.6 acres. The 
original lease was signed by the bureau in 1997 and expired on April 1, 2022.
Sec. 3. Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands is authorized, but not 
directed, to lease certain land within Township 21, Washington County. 
Resolved:  That the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may lease to M&N Operating Co., L.L.C., on such 
terms and conditions as the director may direct, certain land on the Township 21 public 
reserved lands within Washington County. The lease is for an existing natural gas pipeline 
and occupies approximately 5.5 acres. The original lease was signed by the bureau in 1999 
and expires on January 31, 2024.
Sec. 4. Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands is authorized, but not 
directed, to lease certain land within Upper Enchanted Township, Somerset 
County. Resolved:  That the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may lease to the Department of 
Administrative and Financial Services, Office of Information Technology, on such terms 
and conditions as the director may direct, certain land, formerly leased to the Department 
of Transportation, on the Coburn Mountain public reserved lands within Upper Enchanted 
Township, Somerset County. The lease is for existing radio telecommunications facilities 
and occupies approximately 0.4 acres. The original lease was signed by the bureau in 1999 
and expires on June 10, 2024.
SUMMARY
This resolve authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to lease certain state park land and 
public reserved lands.