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Maine's Rivers (Maine Revised Statutes: Title 12 - Conservation; Chapter 200)

Country/Territory
United States of America
Territorial subdivision
Maine
Document type
Legislation
Date
2018
Source
FAO, FAOLEX
Subject
Fisheries, Water
Keyword
Inland fisheries Surface water Inland waters Freshwater pollution Wetlands Recreational water use Pollution control Water quality standards Water rights Property rights Hydropower generation
Geographical area
Americas, Arctic, East Pacific, North America, North Atlantic
Abstract

This Title of the Maine Revised Statutes regulates Maine's rivers. It provides that the best interests of the state's people are served by a policy which recognizes the importance that their rivers and streams have for meeting portions of several public needs, provides guidance for striking a balance among the various uses which affords the public maximum benefit and seeks harmony rather than conflict among these uses. In its role as trustee of the public waters, the Legislature declares that the well-being of the citizens of this State depends on striking a carefully considered and well-reasoned balance among the competing uses of the state's rivers and streams. Further, the Legislature declares that such a balance shall restore waters to a condition clean enough to allow fishing and swimming in all our rivers and streams; revitalize waterfronts and ports; maintain, even in areas where development occurs, the scenic beauty and character of our rivers; recognize and respect the rightful interests of riparian owners; increase the hydroelectric power available to replace foreign oil in the State; streamline procedures to facilitate hydropower development under reasoned environmental, technical and public safety constraints; restore anadromous fisheries and improve the productivity of inland fisheries; expand the opportunities for outdoor recreation; and protect the special resource values of the flowing waters and shorelands of the State's most outstanding river stretches, as identified by the former Department of Conservation's 1982 Maine Rivers Study and as specifically delineated in this chapter.

Full text
English
Website
legislature.maine.gov