An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1596
Committee Amendment CA_A_S377 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A " to S.P. 522, L.D. 1596, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Laws Governing Discontinued Town Ways" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Review Laws and Policies Related to Discontinued and Abandoned 
Roads' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. Department of Conservation stakeholder group on discontinued 
and abandoned roads. 
Resolved: 
That the Department of Conservation shall 
convene a stakeholder group of no more than 10 members to review laws and policies 
related to discontinued and abandoned roads. The stakeholder group shall examine issues 
relating to continued road access through public easements, damage to a road caused by 
use by abutting property owners, damage to a road caused by members of the public, 
maintenance of a private road that has a public easement, methods to address problems of 
road damage and ways to maintain access for intermittent users who need access to a 
road. 
The stakeholder group must include representatives from the Department of 
Transportation, up to 2 residents who own property on a discontinued or abandoned road 
with a public easement and members from statewide organizations representing 
municipalities, small woodlot owners, producers of forest products, snowmobilers and 
other interested parties. The Department of Conservation shall fund the work of the 
stakeholder group from within existing resources. The Department of Conservation shall 
report the stakeholder group's findings and any recommendations to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government matters 
no later than January 15, 2013. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over state and local government matters is authorized to report out legislation 
to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A "to S.P. 522, L.D. 1596 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, replaces the bill with 
a resolve establishing a stakeholder group of no more than 10 members to review laws 
and policies related to discontinued and abandoned roads. 
The stakeholder group is 
directed to examine issues relating to continued access through public easements, damage 
caused by abutting land owners and members of the public, maintenance of private roads 
that have public easements, methods to address problems of road damage and ways to 
maintain access for intermittent users who need access to a road. The s·takeholder group 
must include representatives of the Department of Transportation, up to 2 residents that 
live on a discontinued or abandoned road with a public easement and members from 
statewide organizations representing municipalities, small woodlot owners, producers of 
forest products, snowmobilers and other interested parties. 
The Department of 
Conservation is required to report the stakeholder group's findings to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government matters 
no later than January 15, 2013, and the committee is authorized to report out legislation to 
the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 02/09112 
~ac 
LD 1596 
LR 2515(02) 
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Discontinued Town Ways 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" A" s-3 rrr"l 
Committee: State and Local Government 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor cost increase - Highway Fund 
Additional costs to the Department of Conservation associated with convening the stakeholder group and reporting 
findings and recommendations can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources and with existing staff. Additional 
costs to the Department of Transportation associated with serving on the stakeholder group can also be absorbed 
within existing budgeted resources and with existing staff. 
LR2515(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1