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LD226 • 2025

An Act to Protect the Cultural Resources and Historical Heritage of Sears Island in Searsport by Extending Conservation Easement Protections

An Act to Protect the Cultural Resources and Historical Heritage of Sears Island in Searsport by Extending Conservation Easement Protections

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Representative Reagan Paul
Last action
2025-04-08
Official status
Reports Read On motion by Senator TEPLER of Sagadahoc the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED . in concurrence PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 92 Yeas 24 - Nays 9 - Excused 2 - Absent 0 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Protect the Cultural Resources and Historical Heritage of Sears Island in Searsport by Extending Conservation Easement Protections

An Act to Protect the Cultural Resources and Historical Heritage of Sears Island in Searsport by Extending Conservation Easement Protections Sponsor: Representative Reagan Paul Reference committee: Environment and Natural Resources Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Protect the Cultural Resources and Historical Heritage of Sears Island in Searsport by Extending Conservation Easement Protections Sponsor: Representative Reagan Paul Reference committee: Environment and Natural Resources Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-08 Senate

    Reports Read On motion by Senator TEPLER of Sagadahoc the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED . in concurrence PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 92 Yeas 24 - Nays 9 - Excused 2 - Absent 0 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)

  2. 2025-04-01 House

    Reports READ . On motion of Representative DOUDERA of Camden, the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report was ACCEPTED . ROLL CALL NO. 65 (Yeas 76 - Nays 68 - Absent 6 - Excused 0 - Restricted - 1) Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  3. 2025-03-26 Committee

    Reported Out; ONTP/OTP

  4. 2025-03-19 Committee

    Work Session Held

  5. 2025-03-19 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  6. 2025-01-21 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Protect the Cultural Resources and Historical Heritage of Sears Island in Searsport by Extending Conservation Easement Protections
Sponsor:
Representative Reagan Paul
Reference committee:
Environment and Natural Resources
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP/OTP

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 226
H.P. 149 House of Representatives, January 21, 2025
An Act to Protect the Cultural Resources and Historical Heritage of
Sears Island in Searsport by Extending Conservation Easement
Protections
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PAUL of Winterport.
Cosponsored by Representatives: BISHOP of Bucksport, DANA of the Passamaquoddy Tribe,
FAULKINGHAM of Winter Harbor, STROUT of Harrington, WHITE of Guilford, WHITE of
Ellsworth, Senator: GROHOSKI of Hancock.

Page 1 - 132LR0283(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. Sears Island conservation. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the
3 contrary, the Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Maine Coast Heritage
4 Trust, shall take all reasonable steps to ensure the conservation and protection of all lands
5 on Sears Island that are not currently under a permanent conservation easement. These
6 lands are referred to as the "Transportation Parcel" in the buffer conservation easement and
7 must be under the same restrictions as the current adjacent conservation easement areas
8 and must be managed together by the land management entity appointed by the
9 conservation easement holder, the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Approval of the land
10 management entity nominated by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust must be granted by the
11 Department of Transportation in a timely manner and may not be withheld without cause.
12 For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings.
13 1. "Buffer conservation easement" means the easement between the State and the
14 Maine Coast Heritage Trust dated January 22, 2009 and recorded in the Waldo County
15 Registry of Deeds, Book 3289, Page 300.
16 2. "Transportation Parcel" means the parcel of land on Sears Island in the Town of
17 Searsport contained in the buffer conservation easement that has been reserved for port
18 development by the Department of Transportation.
19SUMMARY
20 This bill directs the Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Maine
21 Coast Heritage Trust, to extend the current conservation easement to cover all lands on
22 Sears Island that are not managed under a permanent buffer conservation easement between
23 the State and the trust.
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