Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 435 – Shoreland areas
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Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 435
- Coastal wetlands: means all tidal and subtidal lands; all lands with vegetation present that is tolerant of salt water and occurs primarily in a salt water or estuarine habitat; and any swamp, marsh, bog, beach, flat or other contiguous low land that is subject to tidal action during the highest tide level for the year in which an activity is proposed as identified in tide tables published by the National Ocean Service. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 436-A
- Great pond: means any inland body of water which in a natural state has a surface area in excess of 10 acres and any inland body of water artificially formed or increased which has a surface area in excess of 30 acres except for the purposes of this article, where the artificially formed or increased inland body of water is completely surrounded by land held by a single owner. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 436-A
- lands: includes lands and all tenements and hereditaments connected therewith, and all rights thereto and interests therein. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
- Municipality: includes cities, towns and plantations, except that "municipality" does not include plantations in Title 10, chapter 110, subchapter IV; or Title 30?A, Part 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
- Normal high-water line: means that line which is apparent from visible markings, changes in the character of soils due to prolonged action of the water or changes in vegetation, and which distinguishes between predominantly aquatic and predominantly terrestrial land. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 436-A
- River: means a free-flowing body of water including its associated flood plain wetlands from that point at which it provides drainage for a watershed of 25 square miles to its mouth. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 436-A
- Stream: means a free-flowing body of water from the outlet of a great pond or the confluence of 2 perennial streams as depicted on the most recent, highest resolution version of the national hydrography dataset available from the United States Geological Survey on the website of the United States Geological Survey or the national map to the point where the stream becomes a river or where the stream meets the shoreland zone of another water body or wetland. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 38 Sec. 436-A
- Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
To aid in the fulfillment of the State’s role as trustee of its waters and to promote public health, safety and the general welfare, it is declared to be in the public interest that shoreland areas be subject to zoning and land use controls. Shoreland areas include those areas within 250 feet of the normal high-water line of any great pond, river or saltwater body, within 250 feet of the upland edge of a coastal wetland, within 250 feet of the upland edge of a freshwater wetland except as otherwise provided in section 438?A, subsection 2, or within 75 feet of the high-water line of a stream. The purposes of these controls are to further the maintenance of safe and healthful conditions; to prevent and control water pollution; to protect fish spawning grounds, aquatic life, bird and other wildlife habitat; to protect buildings and lands from flooding and accelerated erosion; to protect archaeological and historic resources; to protect commercial fishing and maritime industries; to protect freshwater and coastal wetlands; to control building sites, placement of structures and land uses; to conserve shore cover, and visual as well as actual points of access to inland and coastal waters; to conserve natural beauty and open space; and to anticipate and respond to the impacts of development in shoreland areas. [PL 1995, c. 625, Pt. B, §15 (AMD).]
It is further declared that, in accordance with Title 12, section 402, certain river and stream segments, as identified in the former Department of Conservation’s 1982 Maine Rivers Study and as specifically delineated in section 437, are significant river segments and deserve special shoreland zoning controls designed to protect their natural and recreational features. [PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. D, §15 (AMD).]
Zoning ordinances adopted pursuant to this article need not depend upon the existence of a zoning ordinance for all of the land and water areas within a municipality, notwithstanding Title 30?A, section 4352, as it is the intention of the Legislature to recognize that it is reasonable for municipalities to treat shoreland areas specially and immediately to zone around water bodies rather than to wait until such time as zoning ordinances may be enacted for all of the land within municipal boundaries. [PL 2011, c. 691, Pt. C, §6 (AMD).]
All existing municipal ordinances dealing with subjects of this section currently in effect and operational on April 18, 1986, are declared to be valid and shall continue in effect until rescinded, amended or changed according to municipal ordinance, charter or state law. [PL 1987, c. 815, §§1,11 (RPR).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1985, c. 481, §A89 (NEW). PL 1985, c. 737, §A110 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 94, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 815, §§1,11 (RPR). PL 1989, c. 403, §3 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 196, §1 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 625, §B15 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 691, Pt. C, §6 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. D, §15 (AMD).