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LD103
An Act to Reorganize and Simplify Certain Exceptions in Maine's Use Regulation Law
Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 4:26 AM
In one sentence
This law updates rules for the Land Use Planning Commission by changing how minor campgrounds are defined, removing old exceptions from state law, and creating new ways for certain energy projects, mining operations, waste management facilities, and county road repairs to avoid needing a separate permit.
What it does
- Changes the definition of 'minor campground' to allow up to four camping sites with no pressurized water or permanent buildings other than basic shelters like lean-tos.
- Removes several old paragraphs from state law that listed specific exceptions for development permits.
- Allows offshore wind energy demonstration projects approved by the Department of Environmental Protection to skip a Land Use Planning Commission permit if they file notice and maps first.
- Exempts hydropower projects using tidal or wave action, as well as those split between towns and unorganized land, from needing a commission permit.
- Creates new rules so that mining, waste management, and site location projects approved by the Department of Environmental Protection do not need a separate commission permit if they meet local standards and are allowed uses in their subdistricts.
- Exempts county-owned road, bridge, or culvert repairs from needing a permit as long as workers follow existing commission safety standards.
Who it affects
- Landowners who operate small campsites with tents and recreational vehicles in unorganized territories
- Companies developing offshore wind energy demonstration projects
- Developers of hydropower, mining, or waste management facilities that need Department of Environmental Protection approval
- County agencies responsible for repairing roads, bridges, and culverts
Limits and unknowns
- The law does not specify an effective date in the provided text.
- Projects located in planned subdistricts approved before September 1, 2012, are excluded from some of the new permit exceptions for mining and waste management.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Minor campground
- A small camping area with up to four sites that has no pressurized water or permanent buildings other than simple shelters like lean-tos.
- Commission
- The Land Use Planning Commission, the state agency that reviews land use plans and issues permits in unorganized areas of Maine.
- Department of Environmental Protection
- A state agency that approves projects related to energy, mining, waste management, and site location under specific laws.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
An Act to Reorganize and Simplify Certain Exceptions in the Use Regulation Law