An Act To Fund Youth Conservation Education
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0175
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: RA YE, McLEOD, BRYANT, GOOLEY, HASTINGS, JACKSON, LUNDEEN, RICHARDSON, SOCTOMAH, WHEELER
Amends: 12 MRSA §11154

Legislative Document 
No. 175 
S.P.57 
In Senate, January 16, 2007 
An Act To Fund Youth Conservation Education 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator RA YE of Washington. 
Cosponsored by Representative McLEOD of Lee and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: BRYANT of Oxford, GOOLEY of Franklin, HASTINGS of Oxford, 
Representatives: JACKSON of Allagash, LUNDEEN of Mars Hill, RICHARDSON of Carmel, 
SOCTOMAH of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, WHEELER of Kittery. 
Printt'J nil rt' •. :~clt'J p.qWf 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11154, sub-§l1, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and 
amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §§ 128 and 129 and affected by §422, is further amended to 
read: 
11. 
Auction of moose hunting permits to fund youth conservation education 
programs. Notwithstanding subsection 1, the commissioner may issue not more than ~ 
lQ moose hunting permits each year through public auction in accordance with this 
subsection for the purpose of promoting natural resource conservation education through 
scholarships for youth conservation programs. 
lOA. 
Each moose hunting permit issued under this subsection must be awarded 
through public auction to the applicant who submits the highest bid. 
B. 
A person who applies for a moose hunting permit under this subsection is 
subject to the eligibility provisions of subsection 5, except that a successful applicant 
is not required to wait 2 years in order to obtain another permit. 
C. 
An eligible person wishing to apply for a permit under this subsection must 
submit a written application in such form as the commissioner may require. The 
application must be accompanied by a bidding fee of $25, which, except as otherwise 
provided in paragraph D, is nonrefundable. 
The commissioner may waive the 
requirements of this paragraph when, as provided in paragraph G, the commissioner 
enters into a contract with a conservation organization to auction the permits. 
D. 
An eligible person may apply for a moose hunting permit both through the 
public chance drawing and in accordance with this subsection. If a person is selected 
to receive a moose hunting permit as a result of the public chance drawing, that 
person is no longer eligible to obtain a permit under this subsection and the bidding 
fee submitted by that person must be refunded. 
E. 
A moose hunting permit issued under this subsection is valid in the district 
designated by the permittee. This designation must be made within 30 days after the 
permit is awarded. 
F. 
A person who is awarded a moose hunting permit under this subsection may 
select a subpermittee to participate in the moose hunt as provided in subsection 7. 
G. 
The commissioner may enter into a contract with a conservation organization 
whose goals and objectives are not inconsistent with those of the department to 
advertise this process of issuing permits, auction the permits and collect revenues. 
H. 
Except as otherwise provided, the provisions of this Part relating to moose are 
applicable to the hunting of moose with a permit awarded under this subsection. 
I. 
The commissioner may adopt rules necessary for the proper administration, 
implementation, enforcement and interpretation of this subsection. Rules adopted 
pursuant to this paragraph are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A. 
" 
J. 
Notwithstanding this subsection, the total number of moose hunting permits 
issued each year must be in accordance with section 11552, subsection 2. 
K. 
The commissioner may decline to issue any permit or any number of permits 
issuable pursuant to this subsection if, in the commissioner's opinion, the auction bids 
received do not reflect the public value anticipated to meet the goals of this 
subsection. Any permit or permits not issued under this subsection must be drawn in 
the public chance drawing pursuant to subsection 9. 
SUMMARY 
I 1 
This bill raises the number of moose permits auctioned by the Department of Inland 
Fisheries and Wildlife from 5 to 10 permits and states that the purpose of the auction is to 
benefit conservation education for youth. 
It provides the Commissioner of Inland 
Fisheries and Wildlife the option of not issuing permits to bidders if the bids present a 
financial return insufficient to reflect the public value of the permits. It also provides that 
unissued permits are to be drawn in the public chance drawing.