7.__Commission's status.__Subject to written approval of the Attorney General as provided in Title 5, section 191 and within the limits of the commission's budget, the commission may retain private counsel for the conduct of commission meetings and hearings and advice on other legal matters.

Sec. X-9. 38 MRSA §972 is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

§972.__Conversion as theft

1.__Prohibition.__A person may not, personally or by another in the person's employment, intentionally or knowingly take and convert to the person's own use any log, mast or spar as described in section 971 for the purpose of its being driven to a market or place of manufacture.

2.__Penalties.__The following penalties apply to violations of this section.

A.__A person who violates subsection 1 when the value of the log, mast or spar is more than $10,000 commits a Class B crime.

B.__A person who violates subsection 1 when the person is armed with a dangerous weapon at the time of the offense commits a Class B crime.

C.__A person who violates subsection 1 when the value of the property is more than $2,000 but not more than $10,000 commits a Class C crime.

D.__A person who violates subsection 1 when the value of the property is more than $1,000 but not more than $2,000 commits a Class D crime.

E.__A person who violates subsection 1 commits a Class E crime.

F.__A person who violates subsection 1 or attempts to violate subsection 1 when the person has 2 prior Maine convictions for any combination of the following commits a Class C crime:__theft; any violation of Title 17-A, section 401 in which the crime intended to be committed inside the structure was theft; any violation of Title 17-A, section 651; any violation of Title 17- A, section 702, 703 or 708.__