LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S CHAPTER
SIGNATURE
100
JUNE 22, 2025 RESOLVES
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
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H.P. 636 - L.D. 976
Resolve, to Establish a Working Group to Facilitate Public Access and
Resilience Planning for Swan Island
Sec. 1. Swan Island access and resilience working group convened.
Resolved: That the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, referred to in this resolve
as "the department," shall convene a working group to develop a comprehensive plan to
enhance public access to Swan Island in Perkins Township in Sagadahoc County. The
working group must include, but is not limited to:
1. The Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or the commissioner's designee;
2. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development or the
commissioner's designee;
3. The Director of the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future or the director's
designee;
4. The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or the commissioner's
designee;
5. A municipal official from the Town of Richmond responsible for tax increment
financing allocations; and
6. A representative from a local nonprofit organization with an interest in outdoor
recreation access, conservation or community development related to Swan Island.
Sec. 2. Plan development; working group meetings. Resolved: That the
working group convened pursuant to section 1 shall:
1. Identify barriers to public access to Swan Island and strategies for removing those
barriers;
2. Evaluate accessible transportation options for the public, including operation and
maintenance of a ferry or alternative public transportation systems that may be conducted
through public-private partnerships;
3. Assess infrastructure needs, such as the creation and upkeep of docks, campgrounds,
educational facilities and historic sites;
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4. Recommend roles and responsibilities among state and municipal partners for
operations, maintenance and land stewardship;
5. Explore funding sources, including, but not limited to, land and water conservation
funds, tax increment financing allocations and public and private funds or resilience-related
programs;
6. Develop a coordinated implementation timeline and cost estimates;
7. Identify any necessary changes to statute or rule; and
8. Produce a detailed Swan Island public access plan with supporting documentation
and an implementation date on or before May 1, 2026.
The working group shall provide public notice for its meetings.
Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That the department shall submit a report that includes
the finalized Swan Island public access plan produced pursuant to section 2, along with any
recommended legislation from the working group convened pursuant to section 1, to the
Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife no later than January 1, 2026.
The committee may submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature
based on the report. This resolve may not be construed to prevent the department from
initiating implementation of the public access plan prior to or following January 1, 2026.
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