PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 24, 2022
So far, Maine, land of roughly 6,500 lakes and ponds, has been fortunate, with only about 30 Eurasian watermilfoil infestations detected across the state. Prevention and treatment programs certainly are part of the reason. But conservation groups and lake associations say more than boat inspections are necessary to keep Maine's lakes and ponds free from milfoil and other harmful infestations. They tried to pass a “clean, drain, dry” bill last year that would require boaters to drain everything from vessels, trailers and other equipment whenever they remove a boat from an inland body of water. The state inland fisheries and environmental protection agencies were opposed, citing enforceability questions. The state should reconsider. Such laws have worked in other states, and they have the full backing of the people who know Maine’s lakes and ponds the best.