Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§57-C, as reallocated by RR 1995, c. 2, §9, is amended to read:

57-C. Maine Not 12 MRSA

Marine Salmon Authorized §6080

Resources Aquaculture

Advisory

Council

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6072, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1983, c. 301, §1, is further amended to read:

1. Authority. The commissioner may lease areas in, on and under the coastal waters, including the public lands beneath those waters and portions of the intertidal zone, for scientific research or for aquaculture of marine organisms. The commissioner may grant a lease to any person. Except as provided in this Part, the commissioner's power to lease lands and to authorize placement of all structures within an aquaculture lease under this section shall be is exclusive. For the purposes of this section, the deputy commissioner may serve in the place of the commissioner. For the purposes of this section, the commissioner or the deputy commissioner serving in the place of the commissioner may authorize in writing qualified professional department staff to sign lease documents.

Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §6072, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1999, c. 267, §1, is repealed.

Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §6072, sub-§3-A is enacted to read:

3-A.__Municipal participation.__Prior to filing an application for a lease with the department under this section, an applicant shall attend a preapplication meeting to describe the proposed application with representatives of the municipality in which the proposed lease is located.

The department shall send a copy of the completed application to the governing board of the municipality as well as the harbor master, if such a position exists.

The department shall provide a municipality with an opportunity to provide written comment prior to a public hearing under subsection 6 on a proposed application with respect to any of the decision criteria under this section, including designated or traditional storm anchorages and the type of mooring gear specified in the lease application.__The municipality may submit an opinion supported by facts on whether a proposed lease is