# Maine LD 497: An Act Regarding the Regulation of Significant Vernal Pools Under the Natural Resources Protection Act Maine LD 497, An Act Regarding the Regulation of Significant Vernal Pools Under the Natural Resources Protection Act, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Victoria Doudera (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-06-17 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 338) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD497-132 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 497 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act Regarding the Regulation of Significant Vernal Pools Under the Natural Resources Protection Act - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-06 - Last action: 2025-06-17, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 338 - Sponsor: Victoria Doudera (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPT - POWERS - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (95 yes, 84 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Easier 'not significant' decisions for pools: benefit, low. If a pool is split by a property line and you cannot access the neighbor’s land, only your side counts when deciding if it is significant. A written "not significant" decision under this rule stays valid. Agencies may also decide a pool is not significant if it dries after filling and before July 1… - Lower mitigation costs for working waterfronts: benefit, low. If your working waterfront license is for land in a state or federal brownfields program or a voluntary response action program (section 343‑E), rules cannot require two things. You do not have to replace lost habitat with equal or greater function. You also do not have to pay a compensation fee un… - Tighter building rules near vernal pools: cost, medium. The law defines significant vernal pool habitat as the pool plus critical land within 250 feet of the spring or fall high‑water mark. It sets a 100‑foot protection zone inside that area. No disturbance is allowed in the pool depression, and you should avoid disturbing land inside 100 feet to the gr… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Victoria Doudera (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Denise Tepler (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-06-10 | House | ACC MAJ OTP AS AMENDED REP | pass | 77 | 70 | | | 2025-06-10 | Senate | ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED REPORT | pass | 18 | 14 | | ## Actions (7) - 2025-06-17: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 338 - 2025-06-11: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-10: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-10: Reports ReadOn motion by Senator TEPLER of Sagadahoc the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report ACCEPTED. PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 440 Yeas 18 - Nays 14 - Excused 3 - Absent 0 Bill READ ONCE. Committee Amendment "A" (H-606) READ and ADOPTED. Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-606) in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-10: Reports READ.On motion of Representative DOUDERA of Camden, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 405(Yeas 77 - Nays 70 - Absent 2 - Excused 2)The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-606) was READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-606). Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-03-21: Carried over, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519. (House) - 2025-02-06: Received by the Clerk of the House on February 6, 2025.The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-606), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0326&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0326&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0326&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (H-606), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0326&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0326&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0326&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD497-132 (as of 2026-10-19).