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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1093
H.P. 715 House of Representatives, March 18, 2025
An Act to Direct the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and
Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands to Prevent the Use of the
Term "State Park" by Nonstate Parks
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 14, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed
pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative WARREN of Scarborough.
Page 1 - 132LR1997(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §1804, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
32-A. Signage for parks. Ensure that only land classified as a park under subsection
4 2 is designated as a park and that land designated as a park is designated by appropriate
5 signage and public information, including, but not limited to, promotional materials,
6 brochures and exhibits;
7Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §1809 is enacted to read:
8§1809. Nonstate parks
9 A nonstate park may not use the term "state park" in its name.
10 For purposes of this section, "nonstate park" means land not classified as a state park
11 as provided in section 1804, subsection 2.
12Sec. 3. Review of public land signage. The Department of Agriculture,
13 Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands shall review signage and public
14 information, including, but not limited to, promotional materials for all land under the
15 control of the State to ensure these lands are designated by appropriate signage and public
16 information pertaining to these lands is clear.
17Sec. 4. Clarification of nonstate park status. The Department of Agriculture,
18 Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands shall develop and provide rules,
19 procedures and deadlines to those entities that use the term "state park" that are not state
20 parks to ensure that public materials are labeled in a way that reflects the park's status as a
21 nonstate park, including signage and road sign colors, and those materials must contain a
22 notice that tickets and passes sold by a nonstate park are not transferable to state parks.
23SUMMARY
24 This bill requires the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department
25 of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to ensure that only land classified as a park is
26 designated as such by appropriate signage and public information, including, but not
27 limited to, promotional materials, brochures and exhibits. The bill requires the bureau to
28 review signage and public information for all land under the control of the State to ensure
29 these lands are designated by appropriate signage and public information pertaining to
30 these lands is clear.
31 The bill prohibits a nonstate park from using the term "state park" in its name.
32 The bill also requires the Bureau of Parks and Lands to develop and provide entities
33 that use the term "state park" with rules, procedures and deadlines to ensure that public
34 materials are labeled in a way that reflects the park's status as a nonstate park.
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