An Act To Require Forest Rangers To Be Trained in Order To Allow Them To Carry Firearms
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0297
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: DUNPHY, LACHOWICZ, CRAY, DION, FITZPATRICK, GIFFORD, NADEAU, WILSON, WOOD

Legislative Document 
No. 297 
H.P. 206 
House of Representatives, February 7, 2013 
An Act To Require Forest Rangers To Be Trained in Order To 
Allow Them To Carry Firearms 
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative DUNPHY of Embden. 
Cosponsored by Senator LACHOWICZ of Kennebec and 
Representatives: CRAY of Palmyra, DION of Portland, FITZPATRICK of Houlton, 
GIFFORD of Lincoln, McCLELLAN of Raymond, NADEAU of Winslow, WILSON of 
Augusta, WOOD of Sabattus. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  PL 1999, c. 352, §§3 and 4 are repealed. 
Sec. 2.  Law enforcement training for forest rangers policy.  The Director of 
the Division of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
shall develop and institute a policy that requires all forest rangers appointed by the 
director pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 8901, subsection 1 to 
attend a law enforcement training course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as a 
condition of continued employment.  Forest rangers who are employed by the Division of 
Forestry on the effective date of this section shall attend and complete the 4-week 
preservice training course described in Title 25, section 2804-B no later than July 1, 
2014.  Forest rangers who are appointed after the effective date of this section shall attend 
and complete the basic law enforcement training course described in Title 25, section 
2804-C. The policy must exempt those persons who have previously attended a 
preservice law enforcement training course or a basic law enforcement course at the 
Maine Criminal Justice Academy. 
Sec. 3.  Firearms training and equipment plans.  The State Supervisor of the 
forest protection unit of the Division of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry and the director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy 
jointly shall develop a plan to provide training to forest rangers in the use of firearms, 
bulletproof vests and other related equipment.  The State Supervisor shall develop a plan 
to furnish firearms and equipment to those forest rangers who have completed the 
training course developed jointly by the State Supervisor and the director of the Maine 
Criminal Justice Academy for the performance of those forest rangers’ law enforcement 
duties.  The plans developed pursuant to this section are subject to the requirements of the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 2803-B, subsection 1 and must be submitted to 
the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint 
Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety for review no later than 
November 1, 2013.  The plans must be implemented no later than January 1, 2014. 
SUMMARY 
This bill repeals 2 provisions of Public Law 1999, chapter 352 that require the 
Commissioner of Conservation to sell all bulletproof vests, firearms and related 
equipment and that prohibit the commissioner from purchasing bulletproof vests, firearms 
or related equipment without specific authorization by the Legislature.  This bill requires 
the Director of the Division of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry to develop a policy that requires all forest rangers to attend 
and complete a law enforcement training course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy 
as a condition of continued employment.  Forest rangers employed as such on the day this 
bill takes effect are required to attend the 4-week preservice training course and forest 
rangers hired after the effective date are required to take the basic law enforcement 
training course.  A forest ranger who has already attended a law enforcement training 
course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy is exempt. 
The bill also requires the State Supervisor of the forest protection unit in the Division 
of Forestry and the director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy to develop a plan to 
provide training to forest rangers in the use of firearms, bulletproof vests and other 
related equipment.  The State Supervisor is directed to develop a plan to furnish such 
firearms and equipment to those forest rangers for the performance of their law 
enforcement duties.  The plans must be submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal 
Justice and Public Safety for review no later than November 1, 2013 and implemented, 
including furnishing firearms and related equipment, no later than January 1, 2014.