A.__Within 5 years prior to the date of the subdivision application, the land proposed for subdivision was not used primarily as timberland;

B.__Within 5 years prior to the date of the subdivision application, the land proposed for subdivision did not change ownership;

C.__The proposed subdivision would not convert the primary use of the land from timberland to nontimberland use; and

D.__The land being subdivided does not exceed 100 acres by itself or in conjunction with other divisions that were created out of the same parcel of record within 5 years prior to the date of the subdivision application and that resulted in the conversion of the primary use of the lots from timberland to nontimberland use.

SUMMARY

This bill prohibits subdivisions that convert the primary use of the land from timberland to nontimberland use in situations when the land being subdivided has changed ownership in the 5 years preceding the subdivision application, when the subdivision would convert the primary use of the land from timberland to nontimberland use and when the subdivision exceeds 100 acres alone or in conjunction with other similar divisions created within 5 years out of the same parcel of land that resulted in conversion of the primary use of those subdivisions from timberland to nontimberland use. This bill applies to subdivisions reviewed by the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission and applies to subdivisions reviewed by a municipal reviewing authority.