LD 2179
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Page 1 of 2 An Act Regarding the Clearing of Vegetation in Areas Adjacent to Protected Natu... LD 2179 Title Page
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LR 3555
Item 1

 
Sec. 2. 38 MRSA §480-C, sub-§1, as repealed and replaced by PL 1995,
c. 460, §4 and affected by §12, is amended to read:

 
1. Prohibition. A person may not perform or cause to be
performed any activity listed in subsection 2 without first
obtaining a permit from the department if the activity is located
in, on or over any protected natural resource or is located
adjacent to and operated in such a manner that material or soil
may be washed into any of the following:

 
A. A coastal wetland, great pond, river, stream or brook or
significant wildlife habitat contained within a freshwater
wetland; or

 
B. Freshwater wetlands consisting of or containing:

 
(1) Under normal circumstances, at least 20,000 square
feet of aquatic vegetation, emergent marsh vegetation
or open water, except for artificial ponds or
impoundments; or

 
(2) Peatlands dominated by shrubs, sedges and sphagnum
moss.

 
A person may not perform or cause to be performed any activity in
violation of the terms or conditions of a permit.

 
Sec. 3. 38 MRSA §480-D, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1993, c. 296, §2, is
further amended to read:

 
3. Harm to habitats; fisheries. The activity will not
unreasonably harm any significant wildlife habitat, freshwater
wetland plant habitat, threatened or endangered plant habitat,
aquatic or adjacent upland habitat, travel corridor, freshwater,
estuarine or marine fisheries or other aquatic life.

 
In determining whether there is unreasonable harm to significant
wildlife habitat, the department may consider proposed mitigation
if that mitigation does not diminish in the vicinity of the
proposed activity the overall value of significant wildlife
habitat and species utilization of the habitat and if there is no
specific biological or physical feature unique to the habitat
that would be adversely affected by the proposed activity. For
purposes of this subsection, "mitigation" means any action taken
or not taken to avoid, minimize, rectify, reduce, eliminate or
compensate for any actual or potential adverse impact on the
significant wildlife habitat, including the following:

 
A. Avoiding an impact altogether by not taking a certain
action or parts of an action;

 
B. Minimizing an impact by limiting the magnitude, duration
or location of an activity or by controlling the timing of
an activity;

 
C. Rectifying an impact by repairing, rehabilitating or
restoring the affected environment;

 
D. Reducing or eliminating an impact over time through
preservation and maintenance operations during the life of
the project; or

 
E. Compensating for an impact by replacing the affected
significant wildlife habitat.

 
Sec. 4. 38 MRSA §480-Q, sub-§7-A, as amended by PL 2001, c. 431, §6,
is repealed.

 
Sec. 5. 38 MRSA §480-Q, sub-§7-B is enacted to read:

 
7-B.__Forestry.__Forestry management activities, including
associated road construction or maintenance, in or adjacent to
protected natural resources as long as the activities comply with
rules containing statewide standards for timber harvesting in
shoreland areas administered by the Department of Conservation,
Maine Forest Service.__This exemption does not apply to a road
constructed in freshwater wetlands when used to access
development as a result of a change in land use following a
timber harvest unless the road is removed and the site restored
to its prior natural condition;

 
Sec. 6. 38 MRSA §480-Q, sub-§§23, 24 and 25 are enacted to read:

 
23.__Cutting or clearing subject to mandatory shoreland zoning
laws.__Cutting or clearing of upland vegetation adjacent to those
protected natural resources listed in section 480-C, subsection
1, paragraphs A or B for a purpose other than forest management
as long as:

 
A.__The cutting or clearing is subject to the jurisdiction
of a municipality pursuant to chapter 3, subchapter I,
article 2-B; or

 
B.__If the cutting or clearing is not subject to the
jurisdiction of a municipality pursuant to chapter 3,
subchapter I, article 2-B, vegetation within the adjacent
area is maintained as follows:

 
(1)__There is no cleared opening greater than 250
square feet in the forest canopy as measured from the
outer limits of the tree crown, except that a footpath
may be constructed for the purpose of access to water
if it does not exceed 6 feet in width as measured
between tree trunks and has at least one bend in its
path to divert channelized runoff;

 
(2)__Any selective cutting of trees within the buffer
strip leaves a well-distributed stand of trees and
other natural vegetation.

 
(a)__For the purposes of this subparagraph, a
"well-distributed stand of trees and other natural
vegetation" is defined as maintaining a rating
score of 8 or more points in a 25-foot by 25-foot
square area as determined by the following rating
system.

 
(i)__A tree with a diameter at 4 1/2 feet
above ground level of 2 to 4 inches has a
point value of one.

 
(ii)__A tree with a diameter at 4 1/2 feet
above ground level of more than 4 inches and
up to and including 12 inches has a point
value of 2.

 
(iii)__A tree with a diameter at 4 1/2 feet
above ground level of more than 12 inches has
a point value of 4.

 
(b)__In applying this point system:

 
(i)__The 25-foot by 25-foot square plots must
be established where the landowner or lessee
proposes clearing within the required buffer;

 
(ii)__Each successive plot must be adjacent
to, but may not overlap, a previous plot;

 
(iii)__Any plot not containing the required
points may have no vegetation removed except
as otherwise allowed by this subsection; and

 
(iv)__Any plot containing the required points
may have vegetation removed down to the
minimum points required or as otherwise
allowed by this subsection;

 
(3)__In addition to the requirements of subparagraph
(2), no more than 40% of the total volume of trees 4
inches or more in diameter, measured 4 1/2 feet above
ground level, is selectively cut in any 10-year period;

 
(4)__In order to protect water quality and wildlife
habitat, existing vegetation under 3 feet in height and
other ground cover is not removed except for
construction of a footpath as provided in subparagraph
(1);

 
(5)__Tree branches are not pruned except on the bottom
1/3 of the tree as long as tree vitality will not be
adversely affected; and

 
(6)__In order to maintain a buffer strip of vegetation,
when the removal of storm-damaged, diseased, unsafe or
dead trees results in the creation of cleared openings
in excess of 250 square feet, these openings are
replanted with native tree species unless there is
existing new tree growth.

 
Cleared openings legally in existence on September 1,
2002 may be maintained but may not be enlarged.

 
This subsection applies to an area with vegetation composed
primarily of shrubs, trees or other woody vegetation without
regard to whether the area was previously cut or cleared;

 
24.__Existing lawns and gardens.__Maintenance, but not
enlargement of, lawns and gardens in existence on September 1,
2002 that are adjacent to a river, stream or brook not regulated
by a municipality under chapter 3, subchapter I, article 2-B; and

 
25.__Existing agricultural fields and pastures.__Maintenance,
but not enlargement of, agricultural fields and pastures in
existence on September 1, 2002 that are adjacent to a river,
stream or brook not regulated by a municipality under chapter 3,
subchapter I, article 2-B.

 
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble,
this Act takes effect when approved.

 
FISCAL NOTE

 
The implementation of certain statutory provisions pertaining
to the cutting and removal of vegetation will result in
insignificant increases of dedicated revenue to the Maine
Environmental Protection Fund within the Department of
Environmental Protection from additional application fees.

 
SUMMARY

 
This bill is the unanimous report of the Joint Standing
Committee on Natural Resources and is reported pursuant to
Resolve 1999, chapter 116.

 
This bill makes changes to the natural resources protection
laws administered by the Department of Environmental Protection
to provide the necessary statutory basis for major substantive
rules to be adopted by the department that regulate the cutting
and removal of vegetation, other than timber harvesting
activities, in areas adjacent to protected natural resources.
This bill is an emergency to ensure that the statutory changes
take effect prior to the effective date of the major substantive
rules approved earlier this session.


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