Eurasian Milfoil Catch at Highland Lake

by Mary Jewett, LEA

In August 2025, a fishing kayak (see photo below) was inspected by Lakes Environmental Association boat inspector, Marita Wiser, after the boat left Highland Lake in Bridgton. Upon inspection, aquatic plants were found in a compartment on the boat containing a drop-down pedal propellor. After her shift Marita brought the plant to the LEA office in Bridgton, where Mary Jewett identified it as Eurasian water-milfoil. Mary then sent photos and registration information to John McPhedran at the

Department of Environmental Protection, who in turn asked Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for the boater’s contact information to determine if the boater had been on other Maine lakes. During the inspection the boater told Marita that he had previously been in Woodbury Pond in Litchfield, Maine.

Through emails with John, the boater admitted that he knew he should have inspected his boat, further explaining that he had come from a pond in Massachusetts known to have invasive plants. He was well aware of the boat inspection program, having gone through the state training as a BASS club member. He claimed that he did not drop the pedal device in Maine waters, in an attempt to assuage our fears about releasing Eurasian water-milfoil into Maine waters. After reviewing the evidence, both his actions on our lakes, and his admissions during conversations, the Warden service

issued him a summons. The case went to trial, which took place last Friday, June 26th.

Present at the trial were representatives from the Warden service, DEP, and LEA. Assistant District

Attorney Will Barry prosecuted the case. The boater, John Collins, represented himself. ADA Adams

called Mr. Collins first and he proceeded to admit to the charges against him. He said he is fully

aware that he should have inspected his boat, and was ready to pay any fines. The state rested their

case after this admission, as no further evidence was needed that the crimes were committed.

Present at the trial were representatives from the Warden service, DEP, and LEA. Assistant District Attorney Will Barry prosecuted the case. The boater, John Collins, represented himself. ADA Adams called Mr. Collins first and he proceeded to admit to the charges against him. He said he is fully aware that he should have inspected his boat, and was ready to pay any fines. The state rested their case after this admission, as no further evidence was needed that the crimes were committed.

Mr. Collins called Warden Investigator Joshua Smith to the stand. He questioned Warden Smith about the history of this kind of case. He also called on John McPhedran to ask similar questions about how often a courtesy boat inspection has led to these charges. Mr. Collins used the trial as an avenue to claim the CBI program is moving away from what he feels is it’s intended purpose. He claimed that it was not in the spirit of the program.

At the conclusion of the trial Judge Peter Darvin determined that Mr. Collins’s assertion that the CBI program should not have been used to gather evidence was his opinion, not a defense. He was found guilty of three offences:

•Failure to display a current Lake and River Protection Sticker

•Transporting aquatic plants on a boat or trailer on a public road

•Launching a vessel contaminated with invasive aquatic plants into a waterbody

He was given the minimum fine on each offence, for a total of $650. The resultant costs of this incident, primarily plant surveys of both Highland Lake and Woodbury Pond, will far exceed the fines pad.

As always, our CBIs will not call the Game Warden every time a plant is found. While the Courtesy Boat Inspection program is just that, a courtesy, this case went beyond a normal “save”. Between leaving an infested waterbody and Marita finding that plant, he had 4 opportunities to do a self-inspection. And the likelihood that fragments of EWM went into both Maine waterbodies is high. Thank you to Marita for her careful and complete inspection!