Bill to review Allagash zoning passes Senate

AUGUSTA – A bill that sought to remove the Allagash Wilderness Waterway from the state wilderness zoning agency’s oversight has been scaled back to a study, and Thursday received a vote of support in the Senate.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, originally sought to strip the Land Use Regulation Commission of its oversight and permitting authority in the remote northern Maine river preserve.

But it was amended to call for a study into how the popular waterway should be used and governed.

The issue arises amid disputes between sporting enthusiasts and environmentalists over uses of the Allagash and other remote areas of northern Maine.