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An Act To Help Municipalities Prepare for Changes in Sea Level
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§3, ¶¶I and J, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. A, §45 and Pt. C, §10, are amended to read:
 
I. To preserve the State's historic and archeological resources; and
 
J. To promote and protect the availability of outdoor recreation opportunities for all Maine citizens, including access to surface waters.; and
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§3, ¶K  is enacted to read:
 
K.  To plan for the impacts of changes in sea level on buildings, transportation infrastructure, sewage treatment facilities and other relevant state, regional, municipal or privately held infrastructure, property or resources.
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §4326, sub-§1, ¶¶J and K, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. A, §45 and Pt. C, §10, are amended to read:
 
J. Land use information describing current and projected development patterns; and
 
K. An assessment of capital facilities and public services necessary to support growth and development and to protect the environment and health, safety and welfare of the public and the costs of those facilities and services.; and
Sec. 4.  30-A MRSA §4326, sub-§1, ¶L  is enacted to read:
 
L.  For a coastal municipality or multimunicipal region, projections regarding sea level rise and its potential impacts on buildings, transportation infrastructure, sewage treatment facilities and other relevant municipal, multimunicipal or privately held infrastructure or property.
Sec. 5. 30-A MRSA §4326, sub-§3-A, ¶¶I and J, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 578, §15, are amended to read:
 
I. Encourage the availability of and access to traditional outdoor recreation opportunities, including, without limitation, hunting, boating, fishing and hiking, and encourage the creation of greenbelts, public parks, trails and conservation easements. Each municipality or multimunicipal region shall identify and encourage the protection of undeveloped shoreland and other areas identified in the local planning process as meriting that protection; and
 
J. Develop management goals for great ponds pertaining to the type of shoreline character, intensity of surface water use, protection of resources of state significance and type of public access appropriate for the intensity of use of great ponds within the municipality's or multimunicipal region's jurisdiction.; and
Sec. 6.  30-A MRSA §4326, sub-§3-A, ¶K  is enacted to read:
 
K.  For a coastal municipality or multimunicipal region that includes a coastal municipality, develop a coordinated plan for addressing the impacts of changes in sea level on buildings, transportation infrastructure, sewage treatment facilities and other relevant municipal, multimunicipal or privately held infrastructure or property.
Sec. 7.  38 MRSA §1801, sub-§4-A  is enacted to read:
 
4-A.  Sea level rise.     Address and plan for the impacts of changes in sea level on buildings, transportation infrastructure, sewage treatment facilities and other relevant state, regional, municipal or privately held infrastructure, property or resources;
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires that if a coastal municipality or multimunicipal region that includes a coastal municipality adopts a growth management program under the State's growth planning and land use laws, its comprehensive plan must include information on and a plan to address the impacts of changes in sea level on buildings, transportation infrastructure, sewage treatment facilities and other relevant municipal, multimunicipal or privately held infrastructure or property. This bill also amends the State's growth planning and land use laws to reflect that addressing the impacts of sea level rise is a state planning and regulatory goal. This bill amends the laws regarding the State's coastal management policies to reflect a new state policy of addressing and planning for the impacts of sea level rise.