An Act To Establish the Pine Tree Recreation Zone
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0192
Committee Amendment CA_A_H929 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
to H.P. 143, L.D. 192, Bill, 
Act To Establish the Pine Tree Recreation Zone" 
"An 
Amend 
the 
bill 
by 
striking 
out 
everything 
after 
the 
emergency preamble and before the summary and inserting in its 
place the following: 
'Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA c. 206, sub-c. 5 is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 5 
PINE TREE RECREATION ZONE 
§5250-0. 
Pine Tree Recreation Zone 
1. 
Definitions. 
As 
used in this subchapter, unless the 
context 
otherwise 
indicates, 
the 
following 
terms 
have 
the 
following meanings. 
A. 
"Qualified 
project" means a business project that meets 
the criteria set forth 
in subsection 4 
conducted 
by 
a 
qualified industry. 
B. 
"Oualified industry" 
means 
a 
for-profit corporation, 
limited liability company, partnership, registered limited 
liability partnership, sole proprietorship, business trust 
or any other entity, inside or outside the State, that is 
engaged in or will engage in a qualified project. 
Page l-LR0525(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
r 
~~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H. P. 143, L.D. 192 
2. 
Establishment. 
The 
Pine 
Tree 
Recreation 
Zone 
is 
established to expand recreational opportunities and encourage 
tourism and economic development in areas adjacent to and located 
within the State's natural resources in the central and northern 
regions of the State. 
3. 
Designation of zone. 
The Pine Tree Recreation Zone is 
that area of the State that is north and east of the Androscoggin 
River. 
4. 
Project eligibility. 
A business project is eligible to 
qualify for Pine Tree Recreation Zone benefits if the project: 
A. 
Is located within the Pine Tree Recreation Zone and is 
in a labor market area with a population density of less 
than 30 people per square mile according to the last Federal 
Decennial Census; and 
B. 
Derives at least 50% of its business from sustainable 
recreational or agricultural tourism activities that involve 
the use of available natural resources and provides at least 
one of the following services: 
(1) 
Accommodations; 
(2) 
Guiding or instructional services; and 
(3) 
The 
sale 
or 
rental 
of 
equipment 
for 
use 
in 
canoeing, 
kayaking, 
hunting, 
fishing, 
sailing, 
whitewater 
rafting, 
hiking, 
wildlife 
photography, 
snowmobiling, 
dog sledding, 
snowshoeing, 
downhill or 
cross-country 
skiing, 
camping 
activities 
or 
other 
similar nature-based tourism activities. 
5. 
Administration; rules. 
The Commissioner of Economic and 
Community Development shall administer this subchapter and shall 
adopt rules for the implementation of this subchapter. 
Rules 
adopted under this subsection are major substantive rules 
as 
defined 
in 
Title 
5, 
chapter 
375, 
subchapter 
2-A. 
The 
commissioner is authorized to adopt 
rules setting forth the 
process by which qualified projects may apply for funding from 
grants and loans, 
including loans administered by the Finance 
Authority of Maine through its economic recovery loan program. 
Sec. 2. 
Development of strategic plan. 
The 
Department 
of 
Economic 
and 
Community 
Development shall convene at least 4 
meetings 
with 
representatives 
of 
departments 
and 
stakeholder 
associations to gather information on the most effective methods 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'A " to H.P. 143, L.D. 192 
for attracting, retaining and developing natural resource-based 
industries 
and 
nature-based 
tourism 
in central 
and 
northern 
Maine, 
as well as to structure the eligibility criteria and 
benefit 
structure 
for 
Pine 
Tree 
Recreation 
Zone 
program 
participants and qualified projects. 
The Department of Economic 
and Community Development shall include in these meetings the 
Department 
of 
Agr icul ture, 
Food 
and 
Rural 
Resources, 
the 
Department of Conservation, the Department of Inland Fisheries 
and Wildlife, 
the Department of Environmental Protection, 
the 
Department of Marine Resources and statewide associations that 
have an interest in nature-based tourism in central and northern 
Maine and in farming and agricultural tourism. 
The Commissioner 
of Economic and Community Development shall use this information 
to 
develop 
a 
strategic 
plan 
for 
attracting, 
retaining 
and 
expanding new and existing natural resource-based industries and 
nature-based tourism in central and northern Maine that must 
include a proposal for program benefits using loans and state 
grant programs. 
The commissioner shall report by February 15, 
2007 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over business, 
research and economic 
development 
matters on the details of this strategic plan for the Pine Tree 
Recreation Zone. 
The joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having 
jurisdiction 
over 
business, 
research 
and 
economic 
development matters is authorized to report out legislation on 
the strategic plan to the First Regular Session of the 123rd 
Legislature. 
Sec. 3. Effective date. 
That section of this Act that enacts 
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 206, subchapter 5 
takes effect January 1, 2008. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect when approved, unless otherwise 
indicated. ' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and establishes the Pine 
Tree Recreation Zone as that area of the State north and east of 
the Androscoggin River. 
It defines "qualified industry" as any 
for-profit corporation, limited liability company, partnership, 
registered limited liability partnership, 
sole proprietorship, 
business trust or any other entity, inside or outside the State, 
that is engaged in or will engage in a qualified Pine Tree 
Recreation Zone project. 
To be eligible as a qualified project, 
a 
business 
project 
must 
be 
located 
within 
the 
Pine 
Tree 
Recreation Zone and be in a labor market area with a population 
density of less than 30 people per square mile, according to the 
last Federal Decennial Census, and must derive at least 50°1> of 
its 
business 
from 
sustainable 
recreational 
or 
agricultural 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
'0',1 
,~,;> 
,.t 
, t 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 143, L.D. 192 
tourism activities that involve the use of available natural 
resources and provide accommodations, 
guiding or instructional 
services or the sale or rental of equipment for use in canoeing, 
kayaking, hunting, fishing, sailing, whitewater rafting, hiking, 
wildlife photography, 
snowmobiling, 
dog sledding, 
snowshoeing, 
downhill or cross-country skiing, 
camping activities or other 
similar 
nature-based 
tourism 
activities. 
The 
amendment 
authorizes the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development 
to adopt major substantive rules and establishes an effective 
date of January 1, 
2008 for the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
30-A, chapter 206, subchapter 5. 
This 
amendment 
requires 
the 
Department 
of 
Economic 
and 
Communi ty Development, to convene meetings with representatives 
of departments and stakeholder associations to gather information 
on 
the 
most 
effective methods 
of attracting, 
retaining 
and 
developing natural 
resource-based 
industries 
and 
nature-based 
tourism in central 
and northern Maine 
and 
to structure the 
eligibility criteria and benefits that will 
be 
provided to 
qualified projects. 
It requires the Commissioner of Economic and 
Community 
Development 
to 
use 
this 
information 
to 
develop 
a 
strategic plan for attracting, retaining and expanding new and 
existing 
natural 
resource-based 
industries 
and 
nature-based 
tourism 
in central 
and 
northern Maine 
that must 
include 
a 
proposal 
for 
program 
benefits 
using 
loans 
and 
state 
grant 
programs. 
It also 
requires 
the 
commissioner 
to 
report 
by 
February 
15, 
2007 
to 
the 
joint 
standing 
committee 
of 
the 
Legislature 
having 
jurisdiction 
over 
business, 
research 
and 
economic development matters on the details of this strategic 
plan for the Pine Tree Recreation Zone. 
It also authorizes the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over 
business, 
research 
and 
economic 
development 
matters 
to 
report out legislation on this issue to the First Regular Session 
of the 123rd Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 03/29/06 frac:... 
LD 192 
LR 0525(02) 
An Act To Establish the Pine Tree Recreation Zone 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ·4· 
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
This fiscal note assumes that the intent of this legislation is to establish the Pine Tree Recreation Zone and to require 
the Department of Economic and Community Development to adopt rules to administer the program and to develop a 
strategic plan including a proposal for program benefits that utilizes loans and state grant programs. Additional costs 
to the Department of Economic and Community Development associated with rulemaking and developing the required 
plan can be absorbed utilizing existing budgeted resources. 
LR0525(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1