A scourge of “floating camps” are overwhelming Maine’s waterways and proving themselves to be a bureaucratic mess to get rid of. 

The buoyant abodes are not houseboats, as they lack motors, putting them into a hard-to-control gray area of the law that has landlubbing homeowners and authorities alike scratching their heads. 

The “floating camps,” as they are known, often are outfitted with second stories, decks and other amenities and while they appear quaint — and may bring their owners a pretty rental income — they pose pollution risks, congest public docks and boat ramps, and block the views of houses on shore, the Bangor Daily News reported. 

For years, a variety of Pine Tree State agencies have realized that the camps were a problem — but as a result of them being not completely onshore and often only tied to land, or anchored to the bottom of a body of water, it is extremely hard to determine which agency has the power to remove them. 

A report by multiple agencies formally recognized “a need to define and regulate these non-water-dependent floating structures in order to protect Maine’s waters” over two years ago. But still the problem persists, significantly due to “the lack of a clear violation of law or regulation for the unauthorized placement” of floating camps.

Indeed, in Maine, the bottoms of lakes and ponds are considered to be under a different jurisdiction than the water itself, and the water’s quality is the responsibility of yet another agency — and that’s just the surface of the bureaucratic mess of regulatory bodies governing the state’s water. 

As a result of this, functionally no group is permitted to remove a floating camp. 

In order to fix the problem, the report proposed, there needs to be an agreement that floating camps should be banned, followed by “a clear prohibition” to allow for such a rule’s enforcement.

A captivating Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home in Maine with rugged coastal views has hit the market for just under $5million. 

The 4,963 square-foot home, situated on Buckmaster Neck in Stonington – about four hours from Augusta, is up for grabs with stunning views of the Deer Isle Thorofare and surrounding islands. 

A stone pathway leads people to the wondrous private beach near the home that is great for bonfires, boating, kayaking and sea glass hunting. 

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom property was designed by local architect James W. Schildroth whose creativity set out to resemble the home of Frank Lloyd Wright – the late American designer, architect, educator and writer. 

The unique home was completed in 2001 and is filled with an abundance of wood finishings that pay homage to Wright’s favorite red cypress tree. 

The 4,963 square-foot home is situated on Buckmaster Neck in Stonington, and was designed by local architect James W. Schildroth (pictured: The living and dining room area)

A stone pathway leads people to the wondrous private beach (pictured) near the home that is great for bonfires, boating, kayaking and sea glass hunting

Schildroth specifically tapped into Wright’s ‘groundbreaking philosophies’ to create a ‘harmonious, spiritual, sleek and functional’ space, according to the property listing. 

The home, which sits on 13.11 acres and an 814 foot shorefront, is split into three-and-a-half levels that are part of ‘an interesting and functional layout.’ 

The exterior entrance of the home is decked out in stone and wood and has a three car garage.  

Off of the front door an abundance of natural light glistens off the wood paneled walls and ceilings in the living room area. 

The spacious floor plan has room for a large couch and side tables- perfect for a cozy night in by the fireplace. 

Just off that room, there is a quaint dining room area that leads to French doors to access outside. 

One of the bedrooms is located down a flight of stairs and is covered from head to toe in sleek wood and green carpeting. 

The gourmet galley kitchen (pictured) has a large gas stove, a stainless steel range hood, thick wooden beams above, granite floors and more modern stainless steel appliances

One of bedrooms (pictured) is located down a flight of stairs and is covered from head to toe in sleek wood and green carpeting

Just off the front door there is a spacious utility room fit with a washer and dryer and an abundance of storage room (pictured)

There is also ample storage space for clothing and large windows that let in great sunlight. 

Another smaller bedroom, also covered in wood, is fit with abstractly slanted ceilings, windows and room for a queen size bed. 

A large bathroom is decked out in wood and sage green tiles along the floor and in the glass walk-in shower. 

The bathtub is also encased in the beautiful tile that is surrounded by more large windows. 

Upstairs there is a spacious loft area that overlooks the living room and kitchen area. It fits a large couch, and has a small desk nook area and a long bookshelf for storage. 

Schildroth drew inspiration for the home from the late Frank Lloyd Wright – a American designer, architect, educator and writer. (pictured: An outdoor deck area)

A large bathroom (pictured) is decked out in wood and sage green tiles along the floor and in the glass walk-in shower

The home comes with a ‘state-of-the-art listening room’ that is perfect for entertainment or office (pictured)

The gourmet galley kitchen – also covered in wood – has a large gas stove, a stainless steel range hood, thick wooden beams above, granite floors and further modern stainless steel appliances. 

Through the back of the kitchen there is a large ‘practical pantry,’ and just off the front door there is a spacious utility room fit with a washer and dryer and an abundance of storage room. 

The home also comes with a ‘state-of-the-art listening room’ that is perfect for entertainment or office. 

On the lower level there is a third bedroom, a library, office, and magnificent views of the gardens outside. 

The garden, which was developed by Allen Haskell and his son David, ‘combines lovely native plants with more exotic species, many cultivated by the Haskells,’ according to the listing. 

Another smaller bedroom, also covered in wood, is fit with abstractly slanted ceilings, windows and room for a queen size bed

Rows of trees and budding shrubs surround the home, along with a frog pond, waterfall and multiple stone lanterns created by the late Allen Haskell – a well-known ‘nurseryman’ who had an eye for gardens. 

The current owners of the home purchased the land in 1996 and completed building it in 2001, listing agent Joseph Sortwell told Bangor Daily News.  

‘It’s one of the most well-built houses along the coast, every little detail was really taken into consideration when they were building it.

‘It’s such a special little oasis,’ Sortwell, a broker and principal at LandVest Inc.’s Midcoast office, added. 

Vice President Kamala Harris is leading Donald Trump in the latest poll of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, which backed the former president by more than 7 percentage points in 2020.

Harris quickly improved her standing in polls when she took over the top of the Democratic ticket following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race in July. But she still faces a close race against Trump in key battleground states.

Maine, holder of four electoral votes, is traditionally viewed as Democratic-leaning but gives Republicans an opportunity to pick up one Electoral College vote, as it is one of two states to divide its votes in presidential elections.

Harris is favored to win Maine’s two statewide votes, as well as its 1st Congressional District, which includes more Democratic-leaning areas in the southern part of the state such as Portland, as well as more tourism-heavy beach towns.

Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, however, is viewed as more Republican. It contains the vast, rural areas in the northern part of the state, though it does have some cities like Augusta, Bangor and Lewiston that keep it competitive down ballot.

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) on Wednesday released a new poll of Maine, surveying 999 registered voters in the Pine Tree State from August 15 to August 19. The poll found that Harris holds a 5-point lead in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District over Trump (49 percent to 44 percent).

Statewide, Harris held a 17-point lead over Trump (55 percent to 38 percent), with other candidates receiving 4 percent of the vote. An additional 2 percent of voters said they were still undecided.

Harris held a 29-point lead in the 1st Congressional District (62 percent to 33 percent).

Newsweek reached out to the Harris and Trump campaigns for comment via email on Wednesday.

An earlier UNH poll found Harris leading statewide by 8 points (48 percent to 40 percent), while Trump led the 2nd Congressional District by 4 points (44 percent to 40 percent). That poll was conducted among 1,502 registered voters, from July 23 to July 25.

In 2020, Biden won Maine by about 9 percentage points (53 percent to 44 percent), while Trump carried the 2nd District by a 7-point margin (53 percent to 46 percent).

The state was closer in 2016, when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won by only 2.9 percentage points while Trump won the 2nd District by about 10 points.

The Cook Political Report classifies Maine as “Likely Democrat” and the 2nd Congressional District as “Likely Republican.” This means the races are “not considered competitive at this point but have the potential to become engaged.”