After years of trying to determine how to regulate floating camps in state waters, Maine has enacted a ban, outlawing the structures, Maine Public reported.
"This was a really good time to nip it in the bud," said Susan Gallo with the advocacy group Maine Lakes.
The small, floating camps –– essentially homes –– resemble tiny houses or camps on a raft and are moored offshore, officially designated as "nonwater-dependent floating structures." There are about 200 structures registered as boats in Maine.
Environmental groups, neighbors, and state agencies have expressed concerns due to the risk of pollution, safety issues surrounding navigation of boats in the area, and restriction of public access to lakes, ponds, and the shorefront.
The state has not, until now, been able to regulate the structures. They were falling through loopholes. People owning the structures were aware that no single state agency had jurisdiction over the waters, so they could avoid attempts to require permits by moving to another location on the water outside of the issuing municipality.
Gallo explained that the floating camps are a larger problem in other states. Wanting to maintain the high standards for freshwater resources in Maine, they felt that the risk of not making the problem a top priority was unacceptable.
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Floating homes are seen by many as eco-friendly living solutions because they can adapt to the rising water levels and withstand many extreme weather events. Since they are off-grid, they are often sustainable, utilizing clean energy sources like wind and solar power, and they often use materials and building techniques that minimize environmental impact.
The 200 structures currently existing in the waters of Maine that existed before January 2025 will be allowed to apply for state permits, but new floating camps are prohibited.
When asked about creating a new bureaucracy to regulate the structures, Mark Latti, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife spokesperson, said, "We really felt that that wasn't the solution to this and it really didn't address the issue of the public's right to the water, so really a ban was felt to be the best way to deal with this."
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