Opinion ID: 2554806
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Public Rights in Intertidal Lands

Text: [¶ 86] The State intervened in this case to protect the public's rights in the intertidal lands involved in this matter. Because the court's judgment declaring that the public's right to use the intertidal land in front of Lot J-46 is limited to fishing, fowling, and navigation adhered to our decision in Bell II, the State urges us to reconsider and overrule our holdings in Bell v. Town of Wells (Bell I) and Bell II. See Bell I, 510 A.2d 509, 514-15 (Me. 1986) (confirming that the State does not presumptively hold title to intertidal lands); Bell II, 557 A.2d at 176. Under the circumstances presented in this case, we do not reach the question. [¶ 87] A justiciable controversy is a claim of present and fixed rights, as opposed to hypothetical or future rights, asserted by one party against another who has an interest in contesting the claim. Connors v. Int'l Harvester Credit Corp., 447 A.2d 822, 824 (Me.1982). A decision issued on a non-justiciable controversy is an advisory opinion, which we have no authority to render except on solemn occasions, as provided by the Maine Constitution. Id.; see Me. Const. art. VI, § 3. [¶ 88] Muther and Woods do not hold title to the intertidal land in front of Lot J-46, and the parties did not join the owner of the intertidal land as a party to this action. The parties also stipulated that the J-Lot owners have the right to use the access way to get to the intertidal zone for uses to which [Muther and Woods] legally cannot object successfully. Although Muther and Woods may still challenge uses of the intertidal land of Secret Beach to the extent that those uses overburden the easement, because we affirm the court's judgment declaring that the J-Lot owners may use the easement to access the intertidal zone for general recreational purposes, a determination of whether the public may use the intertidal land for general recreation will not affect the J-Lot owners' permitted use of the easement. As a result, Muther and Woods no longer have an interest in contesting the [State's] claim. See Connors, 447 A.2d at 824. Absent a justiciable controversy, we lack authority to address this issue. [17] See id.