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Courtesy Boat Inspections
Video #1 - DEP’s invasive aquatic biologist John McPhedran demonstrates how to do a thorough boat inspection in under 3.5 minutes.
Video #2 - Developed for Maine’s Courtesy Boat Inspection Program inspectors, this 8 minute video discusses the importance of protecting our lakes and shows how to interact with boaters while walking them through an inspection of their boat.
Related pages: For information on starting your own Courtesy Boat Inspection as well as guidance on training and financial aid, contact Lakes Environmental Association. (off-site)
- Cost Share Grants: cost share grants for local projects to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants - inspections and plant removal.
- Courtesy Boat Inspector Handbook (pdf)
Background
Maine has 2,700 lakes greater than 10 acres in size with less than 1% of these infested with aquatic invasive plants. Maine's primary aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention effort is the Courtesy Boat Inspection (CBI) program. The CBI Program completed its 24th year in 2024. The purpose of these voluntary inspections is to reduce the spread of AIS to Maine waters by boats, trailers, and associated equipment. Trained Courtesy Boat Inspectors alert boaters to the risks posed by AIS, show boaters how to inspect and remove vegetation from boating and fishing equipment, and urge boaters to inspect prior to launch and after retrieval for every excursion onto Maine’s waters.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) contracts with Lakes Environmental Association (LEA) in Bridgton to provide inspector training and assist DEP with grant oversight and communications.
Courtesy Boat Inspection Results Summary - 2024 Season
Maine’s 2024 Courtesy Boat Inspection program had another busy season, recording 91,612 inspection records for CBI groups and Bass tournaments. This effort saw 50,437 inspection hours logged. Boats were inspected both entering and leaving the water with most inspections (~60%) conducted on boats entering. Maintaining this high level of prevention effort is a tremendous achievement for local and regional groups running the inspection programs.
BASS clubs participating in tournaments are required to conduct inspections as a condition of their permit from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. In 2024, 43 bass clubs conducted 5,959 inspections of member boats during tournaments. Inspections have remained at or above 80,000 annually since 2012 with a record high number in 2020 of 102,822 inspections.
2024 Courtesy Boat Inspection Statistics
- 91,612 watercraft inspected*
- 90% of the registered boats had the Lake & River Protection Sticker
- 169 launch sites on 113 waterbodies had inspections occur
- 21 infested waterbodies had inspections conducted at one or more of their access points
- 2,475 inspections (2.9% of all inspections) yielded plant fragments – native or invasive
- Of these intercepted plant fragments, 107 (4.3% of inspections where fragments were found) were “saves” (invasive plants or fragments) found primarily on boats exiting infested waters
- 57 organizations coordinated CBI programs
- 43 bass clubs inspected member boats at their permitted tournaments
- 585 courtesy boat and bass tournament inspectors (paid and volunteer) worked a total of 50,437 hours
*Please note – some inspection records may cover multiple non-motorized craft so long as none of the non-motorized craft have any plant fragments attached.
2024 Lake and River Protection Stickers
Maine requires that all boaters using inland waters purchase and attach a Lake and River Protection sticker. For Maine registered boats, this is part of the annual registration sticker. For non-resident boats, the sticker must be purchased separately.
- Percentage of motorized boats with Lake and River Protection Stickers: 90
- Percentage of boats from Maine with sticker: 92%
- Percentage of boats from out of state with sticker: 76%
2024 Last Lake Visited Statistics
Data is also collected on the last lake visited for all inspections. In 2024, of the 67,310 registered watercraft, 46,639 boaters reported the same lake as their last lake visited. 641 boaters reported an out-of-state lake as their last lake visited prior to launch, and 20,030 said they were on a different Maine lake.
Confirmed "Saves" in 2024
While the Courtesy Boat Inspectors are working hard at preventing invasive plant fragments from entering any waterbody, it is especially important to ensure that fragments of invasive species are not allowed to enter uninfested lakes. 2024 saw nine saves with two occurring at uninfested waterbodies: one on Cochnewagon Pond in Monmouth, and the other on Echo Lake in Mount Vernon.
For more information concerning Maine's Courtesy Boat Inspection Program, visit the Maine DEP's Invasive Aquatic Species Program website at http://www.maine.gov/dep/water/invasives or the Lakes Environmental Association website at https://mainelakes.org/, or e-mail DEP at milfoil@maine.gov