11-A.__Municipal participation.__Prior to filing an application with the department under this section, an applicant shall attend a preapplication meeting with representatives of the municipality in which the proposed lease is located to describe the proposed application.

The department shall send a copy of the completed application to the governing board of the municipality as well as the harbor master, if such a position exists.

The department shall provide a municipality with an opportunity to provide written comment prior to a public hearing under subsection 6 on a proposed application with respect to any of the decision criteria under this section, including designated or traditional storm anchorages and the type of mooring gear specified in the lease application.__The municipality may submit an opinion supported by facts on whether a proposed lease is located within a channel designated under the authority of Title 38, section 2 and whether the proposed lease will unreasonably interfere with navigation.__The department shall evaluate such a submission with regard to the approval criteria in subsection 13, paragraphs A, B and F.

A municipality may recommend conditions on a proposed lease in writing to the department during the comment period under this subsection.__The department shall consider any conditions recommended by the municipality, and the department shall provide a written explanation to the municipality at the time a draft decision is written if the condition is not imposed on a proposed lease.

A municipality has intervenor status upon written request to the department.

In a municipality with a shellfish conservation program under section 6671, the commissioner may not lease areas in the intertidal zone within the municipality without the consent of the municipal officers.

Once a lease is issued, a municipality may issue a mooring permit.__The fee for a mooring permit is the same as that assigned for other commercial moorings within the municipality.__A mooring permit may be issued on a plan basis for all moorings located within an aquaculture lease but may not be issued for each individual mooring block or anchor.

Nothing in this section limits a municipality's ability to enforce the provisions of an issued mooring permit.