An Act To Change the Qualifications of Certain Members of the Board of Pesticides Control
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1471-B, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 466, Pt. B, §17, is further amended to read:
1. Board established. The Board of Pesticides Control is established by Title 5, section 12004-D, subsection 3, within the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources. Except as provided in this chapter, the board must be composed of 7 members, appointed by the Governor, subject to approval by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over agricultural matters and confirmation by the Senate. To provide the knowledge and experience necessary for carrying out the duties of the board, the board must consist of the following members: one person with practical experience and knowledge regarding the agricultural use of chemicals; one person who has practical experience and knowledge regarding the use of chemicals in forest management; one person from the medical community; a scientist from the University of Maine System specializing in agronomy or , entomology or plant pathology having practical experience and knowledge of integrated pest management; one commercial applicator; and 2 persons appointed to represent the public. The 2 members One member appointed to represent the public must have a demonstrated interest in environmental protection and one member appointed to represent the public must have practical experience and knowledge of pesticide use in ornamental horticulture and urban landscapes. The 2 members representing the public must represent different geographic areas of the State. The term must be for 4 years, except that of the initial appointees, 2 shall serve 4-year terms, 2 shall serve 3-year terms, 2 shall serve 2-year terms and one shall serve a one-year term. Any vacancy must be filled by an appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term.
summary
This bill expands the specialty areas in which the scientist member of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, Board of Pesticides Control may specialize and also specifies that one public member must have practical experience and knowledge of pesticides use in ornamental horticulture and urban landscapes.