PUBLIC Law, Chapter 277, An Act To Expand the Landowner Relations Program at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

An Act To Expand the Landowner Relations Program at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10108, sub-§4-B is enacted to read:

4-B. Keep Maine Clean program. The commissioner shall develop and implement a Keep Maine Clean program to recruit volunteers to pick up trash in fields and forests while engaging in outdoor recreation. The commissioner shall recruit volunteers for the program from outdoor recreationists, the media and other for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and shall build a database of volunteers and encourage their participation in the program. The commissioner shall promote the program through a publicly accessible website, e-mail and a monthly e-mail newsletter to volunteers, including stories about the program's sponsors, volunteers, contests, good landowner relations and other helpful information.

The commissioner shall seek sponsorship of the Keep Maine Clean program from businesses, groups representing outdoor recreationists and other individuals and groups. The commissioner may accept money, goods or services donated to the department for the program. Money, goods and services accepted by the commissioner under this subsection may be used only for program activities, including providing gifts to program volunteers and promoting and marketing the program. Money accepted by the commissioner under this subsection must be deposited in the Landowner Relations Fund established in section 10265.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §10157, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. D, §11, is repealed.

Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §10157, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:

1-A. Appointment and composition. The Landowners and Sportsmen Relations Advisory Board, referred to in this chapter as "the advisory board" and established by Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 49-C, consists of the following members:

A. Eleven members, appointed by the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife:

(1) One representative of a statewide small woodland owners association;

(2) One representative of a large landowners association;

(3) One representative of a statewide farmers organization;

(4) Three representatives of sportsmen;

(5) Two representatives of outdoor recreationists;

(6) Two representatives of environmentalist organizations; and

(7) One representative of land trust organizations.

Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §10157, sub-§§2 and 3, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §36 and affected by §422, are amended to read:

2. Terms. Members of the advisory board , including the ad hoc members, serve for 3 years , except that, initially, the first 3 landowner representative members appointed and the first 3 land user representative members appointed serve 3 years; the next 3 landowner representative members appointed and the next 3 land user representative members appointed serve 2 years; and the remaining landowner and land user representative members appointed serve for one year. When a vacancy occurs, the Governor Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife shall fill the vacancy by appointing a member from the same category as the member who vacated the advisory board and that new member continues to serve for the remainder of the term.

3. Chair; election of board officers. The members of the advisory board shall annually elect one of its members as chair and one of its members as vice-chair. The chair is responsible for scheduling at least 3 advisory board meetings a year and for preparing the agenda for each meeting.

Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §10157, sub-§§5 and 6, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §36 and affected by §422, are amended to read:

5. Staffing of advisory board. The department shall provide administrative and staff support to the advisory board. Department staff shall attend all meetings of the advisory board.

6. Meetings. The advisory board shall hold quarterly 3 meetings each year. Additional meetings may be held as necessary to conduct the business of the advisory board. At least once per year, the advisory board and the department shall convene a group of stakeholders to discuss any landowner and outdoor recreationist issues and to provide recommendations to the department and the advisory board for improvements to the landowner relations program.

Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §10157, sub-§7, ¶E, as amended by PL 2011, c. 208, §2, is further amended to read:

E. Conduct an organizational review of the advisory board every 5 years. This review must be designed to provide the information necessary to ascertain whether the advisory board has the membership required by subsection 1 1-A and the advisory board is fulfilling its duties. If the review indicates that the advisory board does not have the correct representational membership, a subcommittee of the members of the advisory board must be convened to recommend to the commissioner appropriate changes. At any time, the advisory board may recommend to the commissioner ways to improve the advisory board's membership or function, and the commissioner shall act upon those recommendations; and

Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §10157, sub-§7, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 208, §3, is amended to read:

F. Establish a protocol to contact and work with the courts to identify public service opportunities for a person who has violated a litter law under Title 17, section 2264-A . ; and

Sec. 8. 12 MRSA §10157, sub-§7, ¶G is enacted to read:

G. Issue an annual report that includes the following:

(1) A summary of the major accomplishments of the program over the last year and plans for the coming year;

(2) A summary of how the department administrative and staff support time was spent, including any time spent by the landowner relations coordinator on matters unrelated to landowner relations;

(3) A summary of landowner-related complaints received and any resulting action on behalf of the department or advisory board;

(4) An accounting of income and expenses of the Landowner Relations Fund established in section 10265; and

(5) An explanation of what the advisory board accomplished pursuant to each of its statutory duties.

Sec. 9. 12 MRSA §10265, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 576, §5, is amended to read:

§ 10265. Landowner Relations Fund

The Landowner Relations Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established within the department as a nonlapsing fund to be used by the commissioner to fund or assist in funding the landowner relations program established pursuant to section 10108, subsection 4-A and the Keep Maine Clean program established in section 10108, subsection 4-B. All funds from fees collected under section 10108, subsection 3 and subsection 4-A, paragraph C and money accepted by the commissioner pursuant to section 10108, subsection 4-B must be deposited in the fund. The fund receives any other funds appropriated or allocated to the fund. The commissioner may accept and deposit into the fund monetary gifts, donations or other contributions from public or private sources for the purposes specified in this section. The fund must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts.

Sec. 10. Transition. Current members of the Landowners and Sportsmen Relations Advisory Board that fit within the new membership criteria, as determined by the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, may continue to serve the terms for which they were originally appointed under the former Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 10157, subsection 1.

Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 127th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.

HP0899 LD 1321	PUBLIC Law, Chapter 277 on - Session - 127th Maine Legislature
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