An Act To Protect Small Forest Landowners
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1368
Committee Amendment CA_A_H629 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §8005, 12 MRSA §8611, 36 MRSA §581-E, 36 MRSA §581-G

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "II" to H.P. 954, L.D. 1368, Bill, "An 
Act To Protect Small Forest Landowners" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting 
clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §8005 is enacted to read: 
§8005. 
Certain information confidential 
1. Contact information. 
Social security numbers, addresses, 
telephone numbers and electronic mail addresses of landowners 
owning 
less 
than 
1,000 
acres 
of 
forest 
land 
statewide 
and 
collected by the bureau for the purposes of contacting landowners 
under section 8611, or received by the bureau in notifications 
filed under section 8883-B, or in reports received under Title 
36, section 581-G are confidential and may be disclosed only in 
accordance with this section. 
2. 
Forest management plan and information. 
Social security 
numbers. forest management plans and supporting documentation of 
forest management activities on private forest land and held by 
the bureau for the purposes of administering landowner assistance 
programs 
authorized 
under 
this 
chapter 
and 
chapter 
are 
confidential and may be disclosed only in accordance with this 
section. 
Page l-LR0640(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A 
.. to H.P. 954, L.D. 1368 
3. Disclosure. 
Except as provided in subsection 4, 
the 
director may disclose confidential information in accordance with 
this subsection. 
Confidential information disclosed pursuant to 
this subsection remains the property of the bureau. Recipients of 
the confidential information may not disclose this information or 
use this information except as authorized by the director. 
A. 
The director may disclose information designated as 
confidential under this section to a 
governmental entity 
that, 
in 
the 
opinion 
of 
the 
director, 
reguires 
this 
information. 
B. 
The 
director 
shall 
provide 
names, 
addresses 
and 
electronic mail 
addresses 
upon 
reguest 
to 
a 
nonprofit 
corporation that provides educational services to forest 
landowners regarding sound forest management as long as the 
information disclosed is used to provide information about 
forest management. 
4. 
Information designated as confidential by state or 
federal 
aqeD&y. 
The 
director 
may 
not 
disclose 
information 
furnished 
to 
the 
director 
that 
has 
been 
designated 
as 
confidential 
by 
a 
state 
or 
federal 
agency 
furnishing 
the 
information unless disclosure is authorized by the furnishing 
agency. 
5. 
Penalty. 
A person who receives confidential information 
pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph B and uses that information 
for a purpose other than that authorized by the director commits 
a civil violation punishable by a fine of not more than Sl,OOO. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §8611, sub-§I, as amended by PL 2003, c. 346, 
§1, is further amended to read: 
1. 
Forest management information. 
The bureau shall provide 
a 
forest management 
information clearinghouse service with 
a 
statewide toll-free number. 
The information and referral service 
must include, but is not limited to: 
A. 
Reporting, 
notification 
and 
management 
requirements 
pursuant to this chapter; 
B. 
Timber and forest management options; 
C. 
Soil conservation practices: 
D. 
Insect and disease management practices; 
E. 
Recreation management options; and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A 
.. to H.P. 954, L.D. 1368 
F. 
Wildlife management options. 
Namesr-aaa:esses Addresses, telephone numbers and electronic mail 
addresses collected by the bureau for the purpose of contacting 
forest 
landowners 
owning 
less than 1,000 acres 
statewide to 
provide them with forest management information are B9~-a-~BJie 
Fee9Fa-~~--~Re-~~-9~--~it-~-lr-~-~-4Q6r-~-~-~ 
confidential and may be disclosed only in accordance with section 
8005. 
The 
bureau shall provide copies 
of forest management 
information sent to landowners to the joint standing committee of 
the 
Legislature 
having 
jurisdiction 
over 
agriculture, 
conservation and forestry matters. 
Sec.3. 12 MRS A §8883-B, sub-§8 is enacted to read: 
8. Confidentiality. 
The addresses, telephone numbers and 
electronic mail addresses of forest landowners owning less than 
1,000 acres statewide contained in notifications filed under this 
section are confidential and may be disclosed only in accordance 
with section 8005. 
Sec. 4. 36 MRSA §581-E, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 555, §18, 
is repealed. 
Sec. 5. 36 MRSA §581-G is enacted to read: 
§58l-G. 
Report to Bureau of Forestry 
1. 
Municipal 
report. 
The 
municipal 
assessor 
or 
chief 
assessor of a primary assessing area shall report annually to the 
Department of Conservation, Bureau of Forestry by November 1st or 
days following the tax commitment date, whichever is sooner, 
the following information relating to land taxed according to 
this subchapter: 
A. 
The names and addresses of forest landowners; 
B. 
The 
total 
number 
of 
acres 
taxed pursuant 
to this 
subchapter, 
including 
a 
breakdown 
of 
forest 
type, 
by 
softwood, mixed wood and hardwood; 
C. 
The year each parcel was first accepted for taxation 
under this subchapter; 
D. 
The year of the most recent recertification of each 
parcel; and 
E. 
The tax map number, plan number and lot number for each 
parcel listed. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. 4 .. to H.P. 954, L.D. 1368 
2. 
Forms. 
The 
Department 
of 
Conservation, 
Bureau 
of 
Forestry shall annually provide municipalities with forms 
for 
submitting the information required under subsection 1. To the 
extent that the bureau has the required information, the bureau 
shall include that information on the forms. 
3. 
Confidentiality. 
Addresses, 
telephone 
numbers 
and 
electronic mail addresses of forest landowners owning less than 
1,000 acres statewide contained in reports filed under this 
section are confidential when in possession of the Department of 
Conservation, Bureau of Forestry and may be disclosed only in 
accordance with Title 12, section 8005.' 
SUMMARY 
This 
amendment 
replaces 
the 
bill. 
It 
clarifies 
confidentiality provisions for information held by the Department 
of Conservation, Bureau of Forestry. 
It requires the Director of 
the Bureau of Forestry to keep addresses and electronic mail 
addresses confidential for 
landowners 
owning less than 1,000 
acres of forest land statewide but requires this information to 
be 
provided 
upon 
request 
to 
a 
nonprofit 
organization 
that 
provides 
educational 
services 
to forest 
landowners 
regarding 
sound 
forest 
management 
for 
the 
purpose 
of 
distributing 
information on forest management. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 5/31105 ;l!;Yac:.. 
LD 1368 
LR 0640(02) 
An Act To Protect Small Forest Landowners 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "a" 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor revenue increase - General Fund 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements: 
Establishes a new civil violation. 
The collection of additional fines may increase General Fund revenue by minor amounts. 
LR0640(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1