Code of Maine Rules
13 - DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES
188 - MARINE RESOURCES - GENERAL
Chapter 2 - AQUACULTURE LEASE REGULATIONS
Section 188-2-65 - Experimental Aquaculture Lease Application Requirements

1. The lease applicant's name, address, home and business phone number of the applicant, and, if applicable, the location and Department number of any emergency lease which may be held on the area for which the experimental lease is being applied.

2. A description of the research or development study to be conducted on the site. The description must include: the purpose and design of the study; the type, amount and proposed source of organisms to be grown; a drawing of any structures that will be used; a description of the culture and harvesting techniques that will be used; and the expected length of the study. The description shall also indicate whether the research is for commercial research and development or for scientific purposes.

3. A description of existing uses of the proposed lease area, including commercial and recreational fishing activity, moorings, navigation and navigational channels, and use of the area by riparian landowners for ingress and egress. The description shall include the type, volume, time, duration, location and amount of activity. A signed statement from a Harbormaster or Marine Patrol Officer may be submitted to verify this information.

4. A general description of the area including major physical and biological features, including the flora and fauna of the area (i.e., type of bottom, presence of eelgrass beds, shellfish beds, etc.) as well as the general shoreline and upland characteristics (i.e., sand beach, rocky headland, saltmarsh), and ice formation.

5. In lieu of a written description, applicants may submit a clear and decipherable video (or a Department approved alternative) of the bottom of the proposed lease site and the surrounding shoreland using a transect methodology approved by the Department. Applications that involve a discharge must be filmed between April 1 and November 15 unless otherwise specified by the Department. Applications that do not involve a discharge maybe filmed at any time of year, unless otherwise specified by the Department.

6. Oil Spill Prevention and Control Plan. For applications where petroleum products are to be stored on the proposed site, a spill prevention and control plan shall be provided with the application. The plan should be specific to the site, but should include:

7. An experimental lease must be one contiguous tract except where:

8. Submission of material used for an experimental lease application. An applicant who has an active emergency lease issued by the Department may use the relevant information in that application for satisfying the requirements of an experimental lease application, if the experimental lease is in the same location and of the same dimension as the emergency lease. If the Commissioner determines that the information is not sufficient for the purposes of granting an experimental lease, the applicant must submit additional information to fulfill the application requirements.