| QRLT SUPPORTS REQUIRING LANDOWNER PERMISSION FOR SEAWEED HARVESTING IN THE INTERTIDAL ZONE The Board of Trustees of the Quoddy Regional Land Trust (QRLT) has voted to support, in part, LD 1179, "An Act to Amend the Laws Pertaining to the Taking of Seaweed and Rockweed." This bill, sponsored by State Rep. Albion Goodwin, requires the holder of a Maine seaweed harvesting permit to obtain the written permission of the upland owner or the upland owner's agent prior to harvesting seaweed in the intertidal zone. It also requires that a copy of the written permission be filed with the Commissioner of Marine Resources. WHY DOES QRLT SUPPORT THIS PROVISION? QRLT supports this portion of LD 1179 because it is in keeping with Maine case law, which recognizes that the owner of the intertidal zone (in most cases, the owner of the adjacent upland) also owns the seaweed growing in the intertidal zone. Currently, seaweed harvesters are not required by the Department of Marine Resources to obtain permission of the upland owner before taking seaweed. Many landowners are opposed to large-scale, commercial harvesting of intertidal seaweeds. This portion of LD 1179 would strengthen their ability to prevent or manage harvesting on their lands. It would also enhance QRLT's efforts (and those of other conservation groups) to protect Maine's marine ecosystem through conservation easements and ownership of important coastal properties. Intertidal seaweeds, especially rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum), are primary producers in the Cobscook Bay ecosystem, and are vital to the survival of many marine organisms which find food and shelter in seaweed beds here and elsewhere on the coast. For this reason, large-scale commercial rockweed harvesting is opposed by the Cobscook Bay Fisherman's Association, the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and many other individuals and organizations in our region, as well as by QRLT. QRLT OPPOSES REPEALING DMR'S ABILITY TO REGULATE SEAWEED HARVESTING LD 1179 also repeals the section of Maine law which gives the Commissioner of Marine Resources the authority to establish rules regulating the harvesting of seaweed.QRLT's Board of Trustees has voted to oppose this portion of LD 1179. It would remove the State's ability to set limits on seaweed harvesting, which is essential to prevent commercial harvesters from over-harvesting Maine's seaweed resources. Although existing DMR seaweed harvesting regulations are woefully inadequate, they should be strengthened rather than eliminated. Just as Maine regulates harvesting of timber and other important natural resources on private property, to prevent unacceptable environmental impacts, it should retain the ability to regulate harvesting of seaweed. |
| WHAT YOU CAN DO WRITE, E-MAIL OR PHONE YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR. Ask them to support the landowner permit portion of LD 1179 and oppose the portion repealing DMR regulatory authority on seaweed harvesting when the bill comes up for hearing and if it comes to the full chamber for a vote. WRITE, E-MAIL OR PHONE THE BILL'S SPONSOR AND MEMBERS OF THE MARINE RESOURCES COMMITTEE TO EXPLAIN YOUR POSITION ON THIS BILL AND URGE THEM TO VOTE LIKEWISE. You can contact Rep. Goodwin by e-mail at [email protected] or by phoning the House message line at 1-800-423-2900. You can check contacts for Committee members through the link at www.geocities.com/rockweedinfo/home.html. ATTEND THE COMMITTEE HEARING IN AUGUSTA ON THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2001 AT 1 P.M. The hearing will be in Room 437 of the State House., Check www.geocities.com/rockweedinfo/home.html and follow the links to confirm the state legislature's committee hearing schedule. REGISTER WITH QRLT YOUR OPPOSITION TO COMMERCIAL ROCKWEED HARVESTING ON YOUR LAND. If you are an owner of coastal property in the Quoddy region, and wish to make known your unwillingness to permit commercial rockweed harvesting on your land, e-mail us at . We will send you a form for you to complete, providing us the information we need to publicize the names of landowners, and property locations, where landowners do not allow commercial rockweed harvesting. While we cannot guarantee that harvesters, or the buyers of harvested rockweed, will respect your opposition to harvesting, we can make it known to them and to the Marine Patrol and others. [Note: In Maine, private ownership can extend to the low water mark or to 1650 feet from high water, whichever is closer. The landowner's rights to the seaweed in this zone was confirmed in the 1861 Maine Supreme Judicial Court case, Hill v. Lord, 48 Me. 82. Restriction of public rights to the three "colonial" rights of fishing, fowling and navigation was confirmed in the 1989 "Moody Beach" case, Bell v. Town of Wells, 557A.2d 168.] Alan Brooks, Executive Director Quoddy Regional Land Trust PO Box 49, Whiting ME 04691 tel/fax (207) 733-5509 |