Resolve, To Review Laws and Policies Related to Discontinued and Abandoned Roads

Sec. 1. Department of Conservation stakeholder group on discontinued and abandoned roads. Resolved: That the Department of Conservation shall convene a stakeholder group of no more than 10 members to review laws and policies related to discontinued and abandoned roads. The stakeholder group shall examine issues relating to continued road access through public easements, damage to a road caused by use by abutting property owners, damage to a road caused by members of the public, maintenance of a private road that has a public easement, methods to address problems of road damage and ways to maintain access for intermittent users who need access to a road. The stakeholder group must include representatives from the Department of Transportation, up to 2 residents who own property on a discontinued or abandoned road with a public easement and members from statewide organizations representing municipalities, small woodlot owners, producers of forest products, snowmobilers and other interested parties. The Department of Conservation shall fund the work of the stakeholder group from within existing resources. The Department of Conservation shall report the stakeholder group's findings and any recommendations to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government matters no later than January 15, 2013. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government matters is authorized to report out legislation to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.