Who holds sole statutory jurisdiction over search and rescue operations for lost persons in Maine's woodlands and inland waters?

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The main idea is that the Maine Warden Service holds the lead role for search and rescue of lost persons in Maine’s woods and on inland waters. Statutes assign wardens this primary, statewide authority for wilderness and inland-water SAR, and they maintain trained teams, equipment, and incident command capabilities to coordinate these missions. While local police or sheriff’s offices and other agencies may assist, the Warden Service is the agency with sole statutory jurisdiction for these backcountry and inland-water rescue operations. The State Police, DOT, and DEP have other responsibilities (general law enforcement, transportation, and environmental regulation, respectively) and do not have the primary SAR jurisdiction in this context.