An Act To Clarify Which Municipalities May Receive a Portion of Day Use and Camping Fees from State Parks and Historic Sites
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, this legislation needs to take effect before the expiration of the 90-day period to ensure that fees collected during the summer day use and camping season of 2018 are apportioned and paid according to its provisions; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §1820, as amended by PL 2005, c. 457, Pt. F, §1; PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §7 and PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §24, is further amended to read:
§ 1820. Fee sharing
Seven percent of all day use and camping fees derived from any lands classified by the director as parks or historic sites under jurisdiction of the bureau must be apportioned and paid to the all municipalities having those that have any lands classified by the director as parks or historic sites under jurisdiction of the bureau within their boundaries. In determining the payment to each municipality, the bureau shall assign one unit per front foot for each foot of lake, pond, ocean or major river frontage and 5 units for each acre of all such lands within the municipality. Frontage and acreage must be determined as of April 1st for the year in which revenue is being apportioned and computed to the nearest whole unit.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill clarifies that 7% of all day use and camping fees derived from any lands classified by the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry as parks or historic sites under jurisdiction of the bureau must be apportioned and paid to all municipalities that have any lands classified by the director as parks or historic sites under jurisdiction of the bureau within their boundaries.