Sen. Nangle introduces bill to support towns in protecting Maine’s waters
AUGUSTA — On May 12, Sen. Tim Nangle, D-Windham, introduced a bill to help Maine municipalities enforce shoreland zoning laws by providing legal support when pursuing serious violations. LD 1904, “An Act to Establish the Municipal Shoreline Protection Legal Fund,” received a public hearing on May 12 and a work session on May 15 before the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The committee has unanimously voted to carry the bill over to the next legislative session for further work and consideration.
“When a town like Raymond has to spend over half a million dollars just to make sure someone follows the law and protects a public water source, something is broken,” said Sen. Nangle. “Last year, we passed my bill that gives towns the authority to act — now we need to make sure they can afford to. LD 1904 is about standing up for Maine’s lakes, standing with our towns and ensuring that no one is above the law just because they can afford to fight it.”
LD 1904 would create a revolving legal fund to help towns cover legal costs when pursuing egregious shoreland zoning violations. If the town prevails in court, it would repay the fund using the court-awarded legal fees. The fund would be non-lapsing and maintained with a minimum balance of $100,000 to ensure long-term support.
The bill was introduced in response to a high-profile case in the town of Raymond, where a property owner replaced 400 feet of shoreline vegetation along Sebago Lake — one of the cleanest sources of drinking water in the country. The town spent more than half a million dollars over three years trying to enforce local shoreland zoning provisions. Although the case was ultimately settled in 2024 with restoration beginning later that summer, the experience revealed the financial barriers many towns face when holding violators accountable.
LD 1904 builds on the success of LD 2101 from the 131st Legislature, also sponsored by Sen. Nangle, which was signed into law in 2024 and gave municipalities new tools to enforce shoreland zoning violations. LD 1904 ensures those tools can be used effectively, regardless of a town’s budget.
The bill is slotted to face further committee work and consideration in the Second Session of the 132nd Legislature in early 2026.
Sen. Nangle is serving his second term in the Maine Senate, representing Casco, Frye Island, Raymond, Windham and part of Westbrook. He serves as Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee and sits on the Health and Human Services Committee.