A bill that would ban floating camps from Maine’s waters and more clearly define houseboats, watercraft, homemade watercraft and docks will go to public hearing on Wednesday.
LD 1763, An Act to Regulate Nonwater-dependent Floating Structures on Maine’s Water, will be heard before the Legislature’s Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Cross Building, Room 206, in Augusta.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Allison Hepler, D-Woolwich, also would establish a system of fines ranging from $100 to $500 for violations, and would allow state, municipal or other authorities to take possession of a floating camp not removed within 24 hours and dispose of it as they wish.
The state has been unable to control floating camps, which are anchored on the lake bottom or tied to a dock, because they don’t fall under any of the current legal definitions. This bill defines them and distinguishes them from more traditional watercraft and houseboats, whose definitions also were vague.
The floating camps can be quite simple all of the way to two-story and elaborate with porches, flower pots and other amenities found on land. Some enterprising people use them as rentals.
Floating camps are basically the same as a camp on land and are considered not dependent on water to be functional.
Houseboats would have their own list of requirements under this bill, including the need for a form of propulsion. But they also will have to comply with marine standards for sanitation, lighting, wastewater, hull identification number and be primarily for navigation. They are considered dependent on water to be functional.
Social media discussions about the new bill were lively. Some questioned what they considered possible political reasons for the bill. Others saw it as an infringement on their rights to use public waterways. A few were in favor of the bill, hoping it would keep a rental company from stringing a row of floating camps in front of people’s traditional land-bound structures.
There are exceptions in the bill. Swimming structures such as floats, water toys, ice fishing shacks and aquaculture facilities are among them. It does not address where floating restaurants tied to a dock fit in.
The hearing Wednesday is the next step, to be followed by a committee work session, where the members will vote ought-to-pass or ought-not-to-pass before sending it to the full Legislature.
If you cannot attend the hearing in person but want to submit testimony, you may do it electronically at mainelegislature.org/testimony.
Bill sponsors include Sen. Stacey Guerin, R-Penobscot, Rep. Richard Mason, R-Lisbon, Rep. Chad Perkins, R-Dover-Foxcroft, and Rep. James Dill, Democrat-Old Town.