Only in Maine

NY has it's Windshield Washer folks on the streets. We in Maine scoff at you!! We have Moose Snow Removal!!!

Top that one!!!

[MEDIA=youtube]qdduvBvEJds[/MEDIA]

have you seen the report of a moose stomping a team of sled dogs in Alaska?

Nasty buggers, [USER=90]@Old Mud[/USER] has more than we do, although I "think" I got nailed about 5 years ago, before anyone was talking about them. I had "poison ivy" on my legs and couldn't figure out HTH that happened as the only place there is poison ivy on our peninsula is down by the lighthouse, and I hadn't been anywhere near the lighthouse in weeks.

Nasty buggers, [USER=90]@Old Mud[/USER] has more than we do, although I "think" I got nailed about 5 years ago, before anyone was talking about them. I had "poison ivy" on my legs and couldn't figure out HTH that happened as the only place there is poison ivy on our peninsula is down by the lighthouse, and I hadn't been anywhere near the lighthouse in weeks.

Crazy buggers ?

Crazy buggers ?

Nasty, pray that don't head down the coast...

[HEADING=2][SIZE=4][FONT=book antiqua]Pitch? We don't need your stinking Ruskie Pich!! Had to include comment from a fellow Maineah who's not fond of a newsperson with a Maine vacation home...[/FONT][/SIZE][/HEADING]
[HEADING=2][/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]Russian ship turned away from Maine port[/HEADING]
[pressherald.com/2022/03/15/russian-ship-turned-away-from-maine-port-2/]('https://www.pressherald.com/2022/03/15/russian-ship-turned-away-from-maine-port-2/')

By Edward D. Murphy March 15, 2022

EASTPORT — A Russian vessel carrying 8,000 tons of a petroleum-derived product was denied a request to dock at the easternmost tip of the United States.

The ship’s operator asked on March 3 to dock in Eastport after being turned away from a port on the St. Lawrence Seaway by the Canadian government because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Eastport ultimately rejected the short-notice request from the ship.

Gardner said the vessel’s crew told port officials that they “had issues” with a planned stop on the St. Lawrence Seaway in Canada and asked if Eastport could take them for a few days.

“In this industry, that’s extremely short (notice),” Gardner said, “(and) there were a lot of unknowns.”

The Fesco Uliss was carrying bags of solid pitch, a petroleum-based product used in industry, but Gardner said Eastport had never handled that material before. The ship also was asking about warehouse space, he said, meaning it was unclear when and where the product would go once it was offloaded in Maine.

The short notice, the material, the uncertainty over the cargo’s destination and the fact that President Biden had announced sanctions against Russian businesses just days before because of the invasion of Ukraine all factored in the decision to deny the ship permission to tie up, Gardner said.

Business at the port has been slow due to the impact on shipping by the coronavirus pandemic, he said, “and it’s not that we wouldn’t have welcomed the business,” but the unknowns led to the decision to refuse to allow the ship to use the port.

He said a ship asking to use the port when it was headed elsewhere is not unheard of, but is not a common practice.

“It does happen, just not very often,” Gardner said.

The Fesco Uliss is classified as a general cargo ship. It operates under the Russian flag and is home-ported in Vladivostok, Russia, according to the website marinetraffic.com, which tracks shipping around the world.

As of Tuesday afternoon, marinetraffic.com said the Fesco Uliss was a short distance off the port city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Gardner said he knew that was where the ship was headed after being denied access to the port at Eastport, but he doesn’t know if it stopped anywhere else along the way.

*This report contains material from The Associated Press.

**Perhaps it was a cargo destined for Tucker.
***
I can image him in yellow slickers, standing on some rock promontory, with an oil lamp in his hand, guiding the ship into a Maine port.

[HEADING=2]Herd of bison escapes farm, roams free in Aroostook County[/HEADING]
[pressherald.com/2022/03/16/herd-of-bison-escapes-farm-roams-free-in-aroostook-county/]('https://www.pressherald.com/2022/03/16/herd-of-bison-escapes-farm-roams-free-in-aroostook-county/')

By Dennis Hoey March 17, 2022

[]('')
Bison crossing a road in northern Maine on Wednesday. Photos by Debbie Maynard, courtesy News Center Maine

A herd of bison that broke through a fence early Wednesday morning roamed the countryside between Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle, causing concerns that the animals might force a local ski area to close for the evening.

But the Quoggy Jo Ski Center in Presque Isle was able to reopen Wednesday evening after the bisons’ owners captured the animals and returned them to the farm in Fort Fairfield from which they escaped, police said.

The ski center, which posted a video on its Facebook page of one of the bison wandering across its property, is owned and operated by the Quoddy Jo Ski Club. The club depends on fundraising and community donations to operate.

All of the bison were secured around 5:30 p.m., but not all of the animals made it home safely. One was struck by a truck and had to be put down, Presque Isle police Officer Daniel Varnum said in a telephone interview. The truck was totaled, according to police.

Police said they were notified of the bisons’ escape around 4:45 a.m.

Michael Maynard, a former resident of South Dakota, told [News Center Maine]('https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/aroostook-county/herd-of-bison-loose-in-aroostook-county-maine-after-escaping-farm-presque-isle-fort-fairfield-buffalo/97-81b5fb3d-2971-4311-9937-2d1a8989bde3') that he nearly struck the bison while driving to Presque Isle around 8:30 a.m.

“I was coming up the hill where the Nordic trail is at, and I saw a glimpse of something dark coming down from the trail and I slammed on my brakes,” Maynard told the TV network. “Then I realize it was a buffalo and I says, what’s a buffalo doing here?”

[SIZE=7]There goes the neighborhood...[/SIZE]

Call me selfish, but unlike some here who have escaped the crowds and high taxes of suburbia, I really don't want an influx of fellow emigrees ruining my slice of heaven. Looks like that damn virus has done that, as my county is the coastal one with the highest increase in population on a percentage basis.

The negative impact has already been seen with folks looking for "speed bumps" on country lanes, complaining that dogs run around unleashed, are horrified when someone, yours truly, takes their boat up into very secluded coves to catch bass, complain about the noise and smell from lobster Co-Ops, don't like seeing clam/worm diggers behind their houses, etc.

This keeps up I may start singing "Oh Canada". Hell, their striper fishery in the Miramichi River watershed has become nothing short of spectacular...

Interesting, The Admiral and I were sitting around our "distal" firepit last year having the inaugural fire down there for the 2021 season when suddenly we heard ships horns, cheers and other noises break the silence we're used to. Turned out to be this launching, as W&D, which usually makes some killer tug boats, is 4 mi as the osprey flies from Chez Roccus.

As the year progressed, I kept wondering WTH the ferry was doing tied up at W&D every time I motored past there enroute to some of my striper haunts in that river. At least I know I won't be see her this year and may eventually see her underway as I go bast Rockland...

[HEADING=2]Newest Penobscot Bay ferry remains tied up at dock[/HEADING]
[pressherald.com/2022/03/31/newest-penobscot-bay-ferry-remains-tied-up-at-dock/]('https://www.pressherald.com/2022/03/31/newest-penobscot-bay-ferry-remains-tied-up-at-dock/')

By Stephen Betts April 1, 2022

The Maine State Ferry Service vessel Captain Richard G. Spear remains tied up at the ferry terminal in Rockland nearly one year after the $10 million ship was launched with a festive ceremony.

[]('')
The Captain Richard G. Spear tied up at the Rockland ferry terminal. Stephen Betts photo

“It’s still undergoing construction in Rockland. We’re aiming to have the vessel ready for sea trials this spring,” Paul Merrill, spokesman for the Maine Department of Transportation, said on Wednesday.
Maine State Ferry Service Manager Mark Higgins said the vessel was launched last April but was not delivered to the Ferry Service dock in Rockland until the middle of January 2022.

“When a vessel is launched, there are always several weeks to months of work for the shipyard to complete. It does not mean the state of Maine has ownership of the ferry; the vessel is still under construction and at W&D (Washburn & Doughty shipyard in East Boothbay). Launching is a ceremonial moment to be celebrated and not delivery/acceptance by the MSFS,” Higgins said.

He said there is always a delay when a newly constructed vessel comes to the Ferry Service because the local U.S. Coast Guard officer in charge of marine inspections has to issue the initial certificate of inspection, and the crews need to be trained. In addition, the Ferry Service has to develop periodic test procedures according to the Coast Guard regulations, Higgins said.

“We took delivery of the vessel to help out W&D since they were short on dock space and would need to continue to pay builder’s insurance when the vessel is at their facility. We did this to be a good partner and help a small Maine company. W&D is sending their people up to work on small things that need to be corrected while they wait on the elevator parts. Construction is not complete until the elevator work is completed and accepted by the Maine State Ferry Service,” Higgins said.

The original construction contract with Washburn & Doughty shipyard in East Boothbay was for $8,783,700. There have been a number of change orders over the base amount, and post-pandemic construction costs are higher than pre-pandemic ones, he said. The current construction contract is approximately $10,150,000.

The 156-foot ferry has not yet carried passengers other than staff, he said.

The Captain Spear was launched on April 9, 2021, and at that time was expected to being making trips to Vinalhaven in July 2021.

The Captain Spear can carry 250 passengers and 23 motor vehicles. The Captain Spear will replace the Captain Charles Philbrook. The Philbrook carries 17 vehicles.

The Philbrook will be used as a back-up ferry. The 1968-constructed ferry Gov. Curtis – which is now used as a back-up vessel – will be taken out of service, the state said at the time of the April 2021 launching of the Captain Spear.

The Spear will join the Captain E. Frank Thompson in serving Vinalhaven located 15 miles off Rockland. About 45,000 passengers use the Vinalhaven ferries each year.

Captain Richard G. Spear died in 2018 at the age of 96.

He was the first employee of the Maine State Ferry Service and was involved in creating both the old ferry terminal and the subsequent one that currently serves people traveling back and forth from Vinalhaven, North Haven and Matinicus islands. He served as ferry service manager for 30 years, retiring in 1989.

He remained on the Ferry Service Advisory Board until his death.

Spear, a 1943 graduate of the Maine Maritime Academy, helped guide legislation through the Maine Legislature to create the Port District in 1954 to oversee freight and passenger transportation for Rockland. He was elected to the Port District in 1954 and city residents reelected him every four years. He served as chairman until his death.

Interesting, The Admiral and I were sitting around our "distal" firepit last year having the inaugural fire down there for the 2021 season when suddenly we heard ships horns, cheers and other noises break the silence we're used to. Turned out to be this launching, as W&D, which usually makes some killer tug boats, is 4 mi as the osprey flies from Chez Roccus.

As the year progressed, I kept wondering WTH the ferry was doing tied up at W&D every time I motored past there enroute to some of my striper haunts in that river. At least I know I won't be see her this year and may eventually see her underway as I go bast Rockland...

[HEADING=2]Newest Penobscot Bay ferry remains tied up at dock[/HEADING]
[pressherald.com/2022/03/31/newest-penobscot-bay-ferry-remains-tied-up-at-dock/]('https://www.pressherald.com/2022/03/31/newest-penobscot-bay-ferry-remains-tied-up-at-dock/')

By Stephen Betts April 1, 2022

The Maine State Ferry Service vessel Captain Richard G. Spear remains tied up at the ferry terminal in Rockland nearly one year after the $10 million ship was launched with a festive ceremony.

[]('')
The Captain Richard G. Spear tied up at the Rockland ferry terminal. Stephen Betts photo

“It’s still undergoing construction in Rockland. We’re aiming to have the vessel ready for sea trials this spring,” Paul Merrill, spokesman for the Maine Department of Transportation, said on Wednesday.
Maine State Ferry Service Manager Mark Higgins said the vessel was launched last April but was not delivered to the Ferry Service dock in Rockland until the middle of January 2022.

“When a vessel is launched, there are always several weeks to months of work for the shipyard to complete. It does not mean the state of Maine has ownership of the ferry; the vessel is still under construction and at W&D (Washburn & Doughty shipyard in East Boothbay). Launching is a ceremonial moment to be celebrated and not delivery/acceptance by the MSFS,” Higgins said.

He said there is always a delay when a newly constructed vessel comes to the Ferry Service because the local U.S. Coast Guard officer in charge of marine inspections has to issue the initial certificate of inspection, and the crews need to be trained. In addition, the Ferry Service has to develop periodic test procedures according to the Coast Guard regulations, Higgins said.

“We took delivery of the vessel to help out W&D since they were short on dock space and would need to continue to pay builder’s insurance when the vessel is at their facility. We did this to be a good partner and help a small Maine company. W&D is sending their people up to work on small things that need to be corrected while they wait on the elevator parts. Construction is not complete until the elevator work is completed and accepted by the Maine State Ferry Service,” Higgins said.

The original construction contract with Washburn & Doughty shipyard in East Boothbay was for $8,783,700. There have been a number of change orders over the base amount, and post-pandemic construction costs are higher than pre-pandemic ones, he said. The current construction contract is approximately $10,150,000.

The 156-foot ferry has not yet carried passengers other than staff, he said.

The Captain Spear was launched on April 9, 2021, and at that time was expected to being making trips to Vinalhaven in July 2021.

The Captain Spear can carry 250 passengers and 23 motor vehicles. The Captain Spear will replace the Captain Charles Philbrook. The Philbrook carries 17 vehicles.

The Philbrook will be used as a back-up ferry. The 1968-constructed ferry Gov. Curtis – which is now used as a back-up vessel – will be taken out of service, the state said at the time of the April 2021 launching of the Captain Spear.

The Spear will join the Captain E. Frank Thompson in serving Vinalhaven located 15 miles off Rockland. About 45,000 passengers use the Vinalhaven ferries each year.

Captain Richard G. Spear died in 2018 at the age of 96.

He was the first employee of the Maine State Ferry Service and was involved in creating both the old ferry terminal and the subsequent one that currently serves people traveling back and forth from Vinalhaven, North Haven and Matinicus islands. He served as ferry service manager for 30 years, retiring in 1989.

He remained on the Ferry Service Advisory Board until his death.

Spear, a 1943 graduate of the Maine Maritime Academy, helped guide legislation through the Maine Legislature to create the Port District in 1954 to oversee freight and passenger transportation for Rockland. He was elected to the Port District in 1954 and city residents reelected him every four years. He served as chairman until his death.

Very interesting ????

[HEADING=2]Herd of bison escapes farm, roams free in Aroostook County[/HEADING]
[pressherald.com/2022/03/16/herd-of-bison-escapes-farm-roams-free-in-aroostook-county/]('https://www.pressherald.com/2022/03/16/herd-of-bison-escapes-farm-roams-free-in-aroostook-county/')

By Dennis Hoey March 17, 2022

[]('')
Bison crossing a road in northern Maine on Wednesday. Photos by Debbie Maynard, courtesy News Center Maine

A herd of bison that broke through a fence early Wednesday morning roamed the countryside between Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle, causing concerns that the animals might force a local ski area to close for the evening.

But the Quoggy Jo Ski Center in Presque Isle was able to reopen Wednesday evening after the bisons’ owners captured the animals and returned them to the farm in Fort Fairfield from which they escaped, police said.

The ski center, which posted a video on its Facebook page of one of the bison wandering across its property, is owned and operated by the Quoddy Jo Ski Club. The club depends on fundraising and community donations to operate.

All of the bison were secured around 5:30 p.m., but not all of the animals made it home safely. One was struck by a truck and had to be put down, Presque Isle police Officer Daniel Varnum said in a telephone interview. The truck was totaled, according to police.

Police said they were notified of the bisons’ escape around 4:45 a.m.

Michael Maynard, a former resident of South Dakota, told [News Center Maine]('https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/aroostook-county/herd-of-bison-loose-in-aroostook-county-maine-after-escaping-farm-presque-isle-fort-fairfield-buffalo/97-81b5fb3d-2971-4311-9937-2d1a8989bde3') that he nearly struck the bison while driving to Presque Isle around 8:30 a.m.

“I was coming up the hill where the Nordic trail is at, and I saw a glimpse of something dark coming down from the trail and I slammed on my brakes,” Maynard told the TV network. “Then I realize it was a buffalo and I says, what’s a buffalo doing here?”

The Buffalo aren't nearly as funny as the Quoddy Jo Ski Club. !!. :p

LOVE IT!! No impact on old fart salts, or any folk enjoying salt water!! Just wish they would make all Jet Ski folks take the course, but only a few idiots in my harbor, another advantage to water temps that rarely get above 65°F...

[HEADING=2]Maine’s first boating license law would go into effect in 2024[/HEADING]
[pressherald.com/2022/04/11/maines-first-boating-license-law-would-go-into-effect-in-2024/]('https://www.pressherald.com/2022/04/11/maines-first-boating-license-law-would-go-into-effect-in-2024/')

By Samantha Hogan April 11, 2022

Most boaters under age 25 will be required to pass an education and safety course before January 2024 to operate on Maine’s lakes and rivers because of a bill passed by the state Legislature this year.

Maine is an outlier among states by currently not requiring boating licenses. The proposed law requires operators of motor boats and jet skis to be educated on state boating laws, wildlife and environmental impacts, or risk fines and misdemeanor criminal charges for noncompliance.

Optional boater education courses are already offered online and in person. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife recognizes four online courses and boaters will need to pass one to be certified under the proposed law. A six-hour, in-person course is also offered in Portland.

The proposed law is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024 and apply to anyone born in 1999 or later. It faces one final legislative hurdle before going to Gov. Janet Mills for her signature.

“Sometimes the best way to teach adults new things is by making sure that younger people understand the thing that we’re trying to learn,” said Rep. Jessica Fay (D-Raymond), who sponsored the bill that gained the support of lake associations, environmental and wildlife groups, and lakeside property owners.

Spending summers at her family camp on Sebago Lake, Fay learned to operate a boat from her father and grandfather. Over the years she has seen more recreational boaters come to Maine and operate unsafely — sometimes striking loons and rocking smaller watercraft.

“For a lot of my adult life it was a head-scratcher to me how people could be so unaware of what safe boating looks like,” said Fay.

She concluded the paths forward to improving safe boating came down to knowledge and education.
Under Maine’s proposed new law, anyone born in or after 1999 will need to pass a boater education course before driving a boat of 25 horsepower or higher or to operate a personal watercraft — such as a Jet Ski — on inland waters. The state’s minimum age to operate a Jet Ski will remain 16.

Boaters who violate the new law would be fined between $100 and $500 per offense, and those with three or more violations in a five-year period could be charged with a Class E crime.

Those under age 25 aren’t the demographic of boaters getting in the most accidents or causing the most fatalities, according to national data collected by the Coast Guard.

By first applying the law to children and young adults, they can model safe boating practices to their parents, Fay said. Similar to how recycling was taught in schools and children’s behavior was mirrored at home, she said.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which enforces boating laws on the state’s inland waters, sees the bill as an important change. The department initially sought to have all state boaters complete an educational course by 2027, regardless of their age, but agreed to the compromise lawmakers reached to start with boaters born in and after 1999.

Pushback from a sportsman’s group about public access to legislative debate, and concern among lawmakers about requiring people who are decades removed from high school to take and pass an exam factored into the decision to limit the bill to younger boaters.

The law will only apply to inland waters. A stakeholder group of recreational sportsmen, marine industries and the Department of Marine Resources that oversees Maine’s coastal waters will also be formed, the law states, to make recommendations to the Legislature on how to potentially implement the law on tidal waters.

Lawmakers intend to review the study group’s recommendations next year.

The Department of Marine Resources was not prepared to answer questions about the possibility of expanding the law to include tidal waters at this time.

“We look forward to taking part in the stakeholder group to ensure that all issues are considered before a legal mandate for boater safety training for coastal waters is established,” a spokesman for the department wrote in an email.

The House voted 91-39 in favor of the bill on March 31 and gave its final approval on April 7. Senators unanimously passed it on April 5.

Lawmakers will take one final vote to enact the bill before sending it to Mills.

Brand new Bronco spent the weekend stuck in the mud near "Bah Hahbah", driver doing donuts on a mud flat at low tide. Didn't figure on the glue muck we have here, nor the 12 ft tides on Mount Desert Island.

Of course he was a tourist, saw a clip today of them finally getting it out of the muck and there was that "tan" license plate indicative of a "Joisey" Nobel Laureate. ROTFLMAO!!!

[MEDIA=youtube]cHwbN_6PQNg[/MEDIA]

Sa

Brand new Bronco spent the weekend stuck in the mud near "Bah Hahbah", driver doing donuts on a mud flat at low tide. Didn't figure on the glue muck we have here, nor the 12 ft tides on Mount Desert Island.

Of course he was a tourist, saw a clip today of them finally getting it out of the muck and there was that "tan" license plate indicative of a "Joisey" Nobel Laureate. ROTFLMAO!!!

[MEDIA=youtube]cHwbN_6PQNg[/MEDIA]

Salt water = total loss.

Sa

Salt water = total loss.

Special sale, BELOW MSRP!!! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

“Only In Maine”, not quite…

many “stuck inda mud” pics from democrat and fins on that other website… cellfish…

Sa

Salt water = total loss.

NA, That'll buff right out. :)

[URL unfurl="true"]https://nypost.com/2022/04/19/worlds-loneliest-home-on-a-deserted-island-lists-for-just-339k/[/URL]

[URL unfurl="true"]https://nypost.com/2022/04/19/worlds-loneliest-home-on-a-deserted-island-lists-for-just-339k/[/URL]

Waaayyyyyyyy Downeast!! Closer to Grand Manan, Canada than Bangor Maine.

Would probably be a great striper place...

Phew, I still own 1,000 ft of thick tidal mud, not that I've ever seen anyone down there with a blanket and beach umbrella...

[HEADING=2]Maine judge affirms that intertidal zone belongs to private property owners[/HEADING]
[pressherald.com/2022/04/20/superior-court-says-intertidal-zone-belongs-to-private-property-owners/]('https://www.pressherald.com/2022/04/20/superior-court-says-intertidal-zone-belongs-to-private-property-owners/')

By Megan Gray April 20, 2022

A sign on Moody Beach tells visitors that the area north of the Wells-Ogunquit line is private. A group challenged a law that gives ownership of the intertidal zone to property owners instead of the state, but a judge has ruled mostly against them. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

A Cumberland County Superior Court justice has affirmed that the land between the high and low tide marks on Maine beaches belongs to private property owners, not the state, but he did not rule on whether the public could use that land for activities like running.

The ruling dealt a blow to the nearly two dozen plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit to overturn the private ownership of the intertidal zone. Superior Court Justice John O’Neil Jr. dismissed nearly all of the claims and half of the defendants in an order this week. But O’Neil also suggested that a future order could expand the allowed uses on that public land, and the entire case [still could be bound for the state’s top court.]('https://www.pressherald.com/2021/04/22/lawsuit-could-settle-legal-debate-over-who-owns-maine-beaches-between-low-and-high-tide-marks/')

“This lawsuit is the latest battle in the war over the intertidal lands off Maine’s coast,” O’Neil wrote.
Most coastal states own the land between the low and high tide marks on their beaches. More than 30 years ago, when the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that private owners own all the way to the low-tide line, it also said the public has limited rights to use the intertidal zone for “fishing, fowling and navigation.” That language dates back to an ordinance from the 1640s, and its meaning has long been disputed.

The plaintiffs have asked the court to expand that definition, and that part of the lawsuit is still alive.
Many of the 23 plaintiffs have a business interest in the intertidal zone as seaweed harvesters and processors, clammers, wormers and oyster farmers. One is a marine biologist; another is a professor emeritus at the University of Maine School of Law and a longtime voice in the legal debate over beach ownership. Others own property near Moody Beach in Wells – the same beach that was the focus of the 1980s rulings from the Supreme Judicial Court. They [filed their complaint]('https://www.pressherald.com/2021/04/22/lawsuit-could-settle-legal-debate-over-who-owns-maine-beaches-between-low-and-high-tide-marks/') in Cumberland County Superior Court in April 2021.

Attorney Ben Ford, who represents the plaintiffs, issued a statement Wednesday that did not address the sweeping dismissal. He also did not answer follow-up questions via email about what appeal options are available to his clients and how this ruling will impact their ultimate goal of public beach ownership.

WEIGHING NEXT STEPS
“Today’s decision proves what every Mainer who relies on our shoreline knows to be true – Maine’s intertidal problem is far from settled,” Ford wrote in an email. “This decision gives us several options on next steps and we are weighing those options carefully. We thank the court for its diligence in addressing these issues and are eager to continue toward reclaiming the coast of Maine for all Mainers.”

Attorneys who represent most of the defendants said they were pleased with the decision. Five of 10 defendants will be entirely freed from the lawsuit. In 2019, the Supreme Judicial Court [found that rockweed is on private property]('https://www.pressherald.com/2019/03/29/maines-top-court-rules-rockweed-harvesters-need-permission-from-landowners/') and can no longer be harvested without permission from landowners. In this case, O’Neil found that those five people were being sued only because they either called the Maine Marine Patrol on rockweed harvesters in the intertidal zones near their property or advocated for rockweed conservation.

“If the plaintiffs’ decision to name the Pages, Li and Newby had nothing to do with their reports to Maine Marine Patrol, then it is curious why every single shorefront property owner who claims title to adjacent intertidal land is not named in this suit,” O’Neil wrote.

O’Neil dismissed the claims against that group of defendants as a violation of Maine’s Anti-SLAPP statute, which is meant to deter such lawsuits. (SLAPP stands for “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.”)

“It’s a very good outcome and the outcome they were asking for,” attorney Gordon Smith, who represents those five people, said Wednesday. “They don’t want to be in litigation. They were just exercising their rights as they understood them.”

One of those defendants was Robin Hadlock Seeley, a marine scientist and one of the founders of the Maine Rockweed Coalition, a nonprofit that promotes conservation.

“It reinforced the rights of landowners, including coastal land trusts, to protect vital marine landscape and prevent indiscriminate habitat destruction,” she said of the order on Wednesday.

ARGUMENTS NEGATED BY PREVIOUS OPINIONS
The judge also dismissed three claims that put forth different arguments about why the state is the true owner of the intertidal zone. O’Neil said the Supreme Judicial Court had negated those arguments in previous opinions, and the plaintiffs could not make their case by challenging land conveyances from the seventeenth century.

“Based on the facts plead in this complaint, even viewed in the most favorable light possible, this action to quiet title to the intertidal lands on the State of Maine has been brought 120 years too late,” O’Neil wrote.

Attorney David Silk, who represents two LLCs that own beachfront property in Wells, said the question of ownership is “well-settled.”

“We are pleased to see the court agreed that the law in Maine is well-settled regarding ownership of Maine’s intertidal land,” Silk wrote in an email.

He did not address the remaining claim against his clients about public use of the intertidal zone near their properties. The complaint says access to the intertidal zone on Moody Beach has been restricted by signage or verbal instruction to leave or stay away from that stretch of sand. O’Neil wrote that it is not clear whether activities such as walking, running or doing research are allowed in the intertidal zone, but it is possible that they are. Settling that question could be one next step in the litigation.

An attorney who represented another LLC could not be reached Wednesday afternoon. Two defendants are not represented by any lawyer.

Maine has 3,500 miles of tidal coastline – according to state officials, the fourth longest in the United States. Most of it is rock, and sand beaches are rare. The justices who heard the Moody Beach case in the 1980s are no longer on the Supreme Judicial Court. But their successors [have ruled multiple times]('https://www.pressherald.com/2021/04/21/lawsuit-will-challenge-legal-standard-for-private-beach-access/') about beach access and ownership in the decades since. Those cases have often focused on the meaning of “fishing, fowling and navigation” in a modern context.