An Act To Help Municipalities Prepare for Sea Level Rise

Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§3, ¶J,  as amended by PL 2015, c. 349, §1, is further amended to read:

Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§3, ¶K,  as enacted by PL 2015, c. 349, §2, is amended to read:

Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§3, ¶L  is enacted to read:

Sec. 4. 30-A MRSA §4326, first ¶,  as amended by PL 2001, c. 578, §15, is further amended to read:

A growth management program must include at least a comprehensive plan, as described in subsections 1 to 4 4-A, and an implementation program as described in subsection 5.

Sec. 5. 30-A MRSA §4326, sub-§4-A  is enacted to read:

Sec. 6. 38 MRSA §1801, sub-§4-A  is enacted to read:

SUMMARY

This bill amends the State's growth planning and land use laws to reflect that addressing the effects of sea level rise is a state planning and regulatory goal. The bill amends the laws regarding the State's coastal management policies to direct state, local and certain federal agencies responsible for regulating, planning, developing or managing coastal resources to conduct their activities affecting the coastal area consistent with the policy of encouraging the assessment of and planning for the effects of the rise in sea level. The bill provides that a coastal municipality or multimunicipal region that includes a coastal municipality, if the municipality or region adopts a growth management program under the State's growth planning and land use laws, may include in its comprehensive plan projections regarding sea level changes and the potential effects of the rise in sea level and may develop a coordinated plan for addressing the effects of the rise in sea level. The bill also provides that "coastal municipality" means a municipality or township in the coastal zone as identified by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Maine Coastal Program.