Management Plan - National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Appendix Eresources, as well as managing non-game wildlife and restoring endangered species. In addition to fishand wildlife research, management, and education programs, the Department’s Bureau of Warden Serviceis responsible for enforcing the State’s fish and wildlife laws – for game and non-game species. MaineWarden Service is also the regulatory authority for recreational boating, snowmobiling, all terrain vehicleoperation, white water rafting and search and rescue in the forests, fields, waterways, and on the ice of thestate.Marine Resource LawsThe Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) conserves marine and estuarine resources of thestate. It conducts and sponsors scientific research; promotes and develops the Maine coastal fishingindustries; advises and cooperates with local, state and federal officials concerning activities in coastalwaters; and implements, administers and enforces the laws and regulations necessary to conserve marineresources.The DMR is the State agency that enforces the laws relating to marine resources. The purpose of themarine resources laws is to protect all renewable marine and estuarine resources, such as fish, shellfish,marine worms, marine plants, and their habitat and supporting ecology. DMR has the authority to enterinto reciprocal enforcement agreements with other states, interstate regional authorities and the Federalgovernment. DMR may adopt fisheries management plans and regulations for conservation purposes usingany of the following factors: time, method, number, weight, length, or location. It may adopt regulationsas emergency for purposes of resources protection in the face of “unusual damage or imminent depletion.”The DMR may adopt regulations to address problems concerning gear conflict for purposes of, amongother concerns, “optimum economic and biological management.”Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation ActThis Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation Act (30-A MRSA, Chapter 187, commonlyknown as “the Growth Management Act”) was established in 1987 to ensure that each municipality of thestate would conduct comprehensive planning and land use management. The following goals of this actpertain to environmental and historic protection:- to encourage orderly growth and development in appropriate areas of each community whileprotecting the state’s rural character—and preventing development sprawl;- to protect the quality and manage the quantity of the state’s water resources, including lakes,aquifers, great ponds, estuaries, rivers and coastal areas;- to protect the state’s other critical natural resources, including without limitation, wetlands,wildlife and fisheries habitat, sand dunes, shorelands, scenic vistas and unique natural areas;- to protect the state’s marine resources industry, ports and harbors from incompatible developmentand to promote access to the shore for commercial fishermen and the public;- to safeguard the state’s agricultural and forest resources from development that threatens thoseresources;- to preserve the state’s historic and archaeological resources; and- to promote and protect the availability of outdoor recreational opportunities for all Mainecitizens, including access to waters.As initially enacted, the Act required municipalities, on a tiered basis, to undertake local planning. Thelocal plans had to address and be consistent with the legislatively adopted state goals. The state providedsubstantial funding to facilitate local planning efforts. High-growth areas were to receive funds first.188 Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve