Resolve, Directing the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry To Convey Certain Lands to Roosevelt Conference Center Doing Business as Eagle Lake Sporting Camps

Preamble. The Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 23 requires that real estate held by the State for conservation or recreation purposes may not be reduced or its uses substantially altered except on the vote of 2/3 of all members elected to each House.

Whereas,  certain real estate authorized for conveyance under this resolve is under the designations described in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 598-A; and

Whereas,  the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may sell or exchange lands with the approval of the Legislature in accordance with Title 12, sections 1837 and 1851; and

Whereas,  Aroostook County has experienced significant economic reductions over the last 20 years, with an unemployment rate higher than the state average, an aging workforce and a declining population; and

Whereas,  an existing business, Eagle Lake Sporting Camps, established in 1889 and located on Eagle Lake Public Reserve Lands east of Route 11, desires to invest significantly in its business to grow into a year-round operation and to upgrade facilities and improve amenities, thus stimulating the economy, creating jobs and increasing local and state tax revenues; and

Whereas,  such investment would not be feasible nor would such a commitment be made without the acquisition of fee simple ownership of sufficient land to develop and expand the business and without the lease of additional adjoining land to support a modern wilderness destination resort; and

Whereas,  the subject land is now used as a developed commercial sporting camp property, and no vital conservation land or wildlife habitat nor outdoor recreation opportunities, such as hunting and fishing, are affected by the change in land ownership, and the investment permitted by this conveyance would increase access and opportunities for public use of the Eagle Lake Public Reserve Lands; now, therefore, be it

Sec. 1. Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands to offer to convey certain land in T16 R6. Resolved: That the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, referred to in this resolve as "the director," shall offer to convey, by quitclaim deed with covenant to Roosevelt Conference Center doing business as Eagle Lake Sporting Camps, and its successors and assigns, the land described in the lease of land in Township 16, Range 6 current as of the effective date of this resolve from the State to Eagle Lake Sporting Camps and such additional contiguous land as agreed to by the director and the purchaser to the east of the leased land for a total of 12.86 acres, subject to the State's retaining or withholding any rights to subdivide the land conveyed. In addition, the director shall offer to convey to Eagle Lake Sporting Camps an access right-of-way that is no greater than 66 feet wide along the service road to the Square Lake Road. The conveyance of the right-of-way must include conditions that allow Eagle Lake Sporting Camps to maintain the road and make road improvements after acquiring prior written approval from the State. If Eagle Lake Sporting Camps accepts the offer, the director at the State's expense and the purchaser at the purchaser’s expense each shall obtain a professional appraisal of the property to be conveyed under this resolve and the higher of the 2 appraisals is the sale price. The use of the property conveyed is restricted to the operation of a commercial sporting camp, in keeping with the historical traditions of the area in general and particularly of this property. If at any time following conveyance the property is no longer used for the purpose described in this section, title to the property reverts to the State without cost and any buildings that occupy the site must be removed by the owner at the owner's own cost upon request of the State. The owner has 180 days from the date of notice to remove buildings. After 180 days from the date of notice, ownership of any buildings remaining on the property reverts to the State.

The director shall ensure that the deed conveying the land contains the following covenant, or words to such effect: As a condition of the conveyance of the property, Eagle Lake Sporting Camps and its successors and assigns agree that they will never ask for any changes to the deed and that they will neither ask for nor accept any further grants of land from the State other than the 12.86-acre parcel conveyed pursuant to this resolve. A violation of this covenant results in the immediate reversion of the parcel to the State.