Courtesy Boat Inspection Program (CBI)

Maine's Lakes are under serious threat, menaced by invasive water plants like Variable Leaf and Eurasian Watermilfoil, and Hydrilla. These vegetative villains are so vigorous and propagate so fast that they crowd out native plants, affect fish populations, and make swimming and boating difficult – if not impossible. They can take over a lake in surprisingly little time. When this happens, lake users have to fund costly control measures just to swim, fish, or boat.

Because most new infestations occur in shallow waters near public boat launch facilities, it's obvious that invasive plants move from lake to lake on the boats and equipment of unsuspecting humans. Accordingly, the state has developed a program to educate boaters so they won't spread plants unintentionally. It's the Courtesy Boat Inspection Program, and it's our lakes' first line of defense.

It is the law in the State of Maine that transporting any aquatic plant on the outside of a vehicle, boat, trailer, or equipment is illegal, and violators will be ticketed by the Maine Warden Service.

Courtesy Boat Inspections

The BLA supports the BRCA administered Milfoil/Courtesy Boat Inspector (CBI) Program for the Belgrade Lakes Watershed.  In 2007, under the supervision of Brooke Jansen, a team of approximately 16 paid inspectors and 15 trained volunteers and coordinators from the various lake associations manned the 7 public access boat launches throughout the Belgrade Lakes from Memorial Day through Labor Day Weekend. They performed a total of 5777 inspections as follows:

Significantly, the only invasive plants noted were at the Rt. 27 Messalonskee ramp before it was closed. The inspectors reported that boaters seem to have a much greater awareness of invasive plants than in previous years and are doing a better job of self-inspection.  Since its inception, the BRCA CBI program has performed approximately 15% of all boat inspections in the State of Maine.  It was recently awarded the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP), Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants (MCIAP), Invasive Plant Prevention Award for outstanding commitment to the protection of Maine’s lakes.

Here are four important things you can do to protect Maine Lakes:

1. CHECK and REMOVE all plants and plant parts from boats, motors, trailers, and fishing equipment before launch and after take-out.
2. DISPOSE of plants in a trash receptacle or away from the water on high, dry land.
3. AVOID boating, paddling or swimming through any plants.
4. Become TRAINED to recognize invasive plants through the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program.

Please remember that ALL motorized watercraft on inland waters must display a Lake and River Protection Sticker and a new sticker must be purchased every year.

PLEASE JOIN THE BELGRADE LAKES ASSOCIATION'S COURTESY BOAT INSPECTOR PROGRAM. BOTH PAID AND VOLUNTEER INSPECTORS ARE NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER SEASON. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN BECOME A COURTESY BOAT INSPECTOR, CONTACT THE BELGRADE LAKES ASSOCIATION'S AT 207-512-5150 or click here.