Independent Maine Marine Worm Harvesters Association

02/06/2026

STATE OF MAINE
132ND LEGISLATURE
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LEGISLATIVE NOTICES

JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON MARINE RESOURCES

Sen. Denise Tepler, Senate Chair
Rep. Allison Hepler, House Chair

PUBLIC HEARING: Thursday, February 5, 2026, 10: 15 AM, Cross Building, Room 202

(L.D. 1991) Bill "An Act to Authorize an Educational Requirement for Seaweed Permit Holders" (SP0803) (Presented by Senator TEPLER, D. of Sagadahoc) Submitted by the Department of Marine Resources pursuant to Joint Rule 203.

(L.D. 2002) Bill "An Act to Extend the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative to December 31, 2031" (SP0816) (Presented by Senator RENY, C. of Lincoln) Submitted by the Department of Marine Resources pursuant to Joint Rule 203.

(L.D. 2025) Bill "An Act to Create a Limited-purpose License for Aquaculture Nursery and Husbandry Activities and to Clarify the Aquaculture Lease Amendment Process" (HP1355) (Presented by Representative RIELLY, M. of Westbrook) Submitted by the Department of Marine Resources pursuant to Joint Rule 203.

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CONTACT PERSON: Eliana Beca
100 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0100
287-1337

07/16/2025

I was contacted today by a landowner in the Wiscasset area. He has recently posted his property. He had previously allowed harvesters to access but recently due to a few diggers being aggressive with him he has had to contact police and marine patrol. I cannot stress enough the importance of being respectful of property owners where we access to harvest. Most of us know this but clearly a few still do not. I dont expect this post to get through to people who dont understand the importance of taking care of areas we are allowed access,but i sincerely hope that it will. We have continuously been losing access all over the state. Please have the good sense to not contribute to losing even more. AS i have said for years please leave parking spots cleaner than when you got there and dont give landowners a reason to want you gone.

05/14/2025

Hopefully this helps with springtime sandworm orders

Disease-Carrying Invasive Lugworm Banned as Bait in Massachusetts: https://onthewater.com/disease-carrying-seaworms-banned-as-bait-in-massachusetts

02/24/2025

In the previous post i forgot two things. #1 A huge thank you to Billy Bob Faulkingham for attending the meeting yesterday. #2 Congradulations to Michael Johnson on being elected as vice president to the association. Thank you both.

02/24/2025

Todays meeting went very well. Thank you to all who attended. After a long question and answer conversation with opportunity for everyone to voice opinions pro or con all in attendance voted in favor of leaving the Sunday closure in place. A meeting in Wiscasset will be arranged to allow for more opportunity to discuss the issue with more diggers throughout the state. Thank you to those of you who renewed memberships and became new members. The support is greatly appreciated and needed to keep the association in tact. Thank you all again for attending.

01/28/2025

February 23 will be our annual meeting in Ellsworth. It will be at the China Hill Restaraunt at 1:00 p.m. First on the agenda will be a Q and A discussion to gather input from licensed harvesters regarding potential rule changes for Sunday digging. Representative Billy Bob Faulkingham has been invited and tentatively plans to attend. Elections will also be on the agenda as well as any legislative updates available at that time.All license holders are encouraged to attend. We are hoping to get as accurate a consensus as possible regarding any rule change. There will also be a meeting held in the Wiscasset area in the near future to allow more opportunity to weigh in on the rule change subject. The Wiscasset meeting date will be posted as soon as arrangements can be made.

08/29/2024

As of right now i am resigning from my position in this association. I will remain a member but will no longer be performing the leadership duties of the association. I have paid it foreward for over 12 years standing up for this industry. Problems will arise again like they have before and i hope the outcome stays positive when they do. I have been on the front lines paying attention and showing up whenever needed and i dont regret how we handled things. The time has come for me to be done. Dan Harrington.

07/20/2024

August 1st is the due date for memberships. $10 supporting and $25 standard membership. They can be sent to P.O. box 1098 Wiscasset Me. 04575.

06/03/2024

The state’s proposed floating offshore wind research array was granted a lease by BOEM last week. There are two likely points of interconnection, based on grid access and capacity. One of those is Maine Yankee, and the other is Wyman Station on Cousins Island in Yarmouth. Cable laying would likely involve hydrodredging of soft sediments for burial of the cable, and mattressing with concrete or rocks where burial is not possible. Both routes are still being evaluated, and there will be and full federal and state permitting, including opportunities for public engagement, required prior to approval for either route. As for the Sheepscot specifically, as part of DEP review of a NRPA application for a proposal to bury cables in coastal wetlands, DEP would review the proposed project against all NRPA standards, including to ensure that the activity will not violate any state water quality law. This would include evaluation of potential sediment contaminants that might be disturbed by dredging and disposal.

04/21/2024

1942. The coast of Maine, 2.5 million worms...in vibrant original Kodachrome.Rural life with music composed and performed by Brett Sroka.

04/21/2024

Some historical video.

1942. The coast of Maine, 2.5 million worms...in vibrant original Kodachrome.Rural life with music composed and performed by Brett Sroka.