Other Federal agencies that play an indirect role in regulations concerning 

 the estuarine and marine systems in coastal Maine are the Soil Conservation 

 Service (technical assistance programs in relation to resource conservation), 

 National Park Service (acquisition and management), and U.S. Geological Survey 

 (research) . 



On the State level, nine laws manage coastal resources found primarily in 

 tidal water, by guiding development and by conserving natural resources 

 identified by the State or municipality as being in need of protection. 

 (Seven of these: the Site Location of Development Act, the Protection and 

 Improvement of Waters Act, the Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act, the Oil 

 Discharge and Pollution Control Act, the Land Use Regulation Act, the Critical 

 Areas Program Act, and the jurisdiction of the MDIFW in wildlife management 

 areas have been discussed previously, as they apply to freshwater aquatic 

 systems as well.) The Coastal Wetland Act and Marine Resources Management Law 

 pertain exclusively to tidal waters (estuarine, marine, and riverine). 



The Coastal Wetlands Act ensures that dredging, draining, filling, or 

 construction of permanent structures on or over any tidal or subtidal land 

 does not (1) unreasonably interfere with existing navigational or recreational 

 uses, (2) cause unreasonable soil erosion, (3) unreasonably interfere with the 

 natural flow of any waters, (4) unreasonably harm wildlife or freshwater, 

 estuarine, or marine fisheries, or (5) lower the quality of any waters. This 

 law is administered by the BEP or by those municipal governments to which 

 permit authority has been granted by the BEP (e.g., Harrington and Southport) . 



The Marine Resources Management Law, as administered by MDMR, protects any of 

 the renewable marine resources (including fish, shellfish, marine worms, and 

 marine plants) of the State through enforceable regulations of the time, 

 method, number, weight, length, and location a species is taken. Enforcement 

 is carried out by wardens of MDMR. 



Regulations Pertaining to Terrestrial Systems 



Federal regulations of land-based development primarily concern discharge of 

 pollutants (e.g., air, water, solid wastes, and hazardous wastes). If the 

 project is funded by the Federal Government or involves federally owned land, 

 an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement must be 

 filed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. 



On the State level, 6 laws have direct regulatory control over development. 

 (Four laws, the Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act, the Subdivision Law, the Site 

 Location of Development Act and the Solid Waste Management Law, are described 

 above.) The applications of the Land Use Regulation Law and the Protection 

 and Improvement of Air Law to the terrestrial system are summarized below. 

 Individual towns may further control and guide development through municipal 

 zoning and local ordinances. Under the Land Use Regulation Law, the Land Use 

 Regulation Commission was created. This commission is instructed by the law 

 "to extend principles of sound planning, zoning, and subdivision control for 

 the unorganized. . .townships of the state..." The Commission thus exerts 

 considerable control over development within its jurisdiction. Through 

 zoning, development is directed to areas that have good soils and areas where 

 building has already taken place; and fragile areas that may be unsuitable for 

 construction are avoided. 



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