An Act To Promote Rockweed Habitat Conservation through the Consideration of No-harvest Areas
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1830
Committee Amendment CA_A_H807 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1318, L.D. 1830, Bill, "An Act To 
Promote Rockweed Habitat Conservation through the Consideration of No-harvest 
Areas" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Further the Implementation of the Rockweed Fishery Management 
Plan' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 2. 
Statewide management plan for rockweed; update on 
recommended actions. The Commissioner of Marine Resources, referred to in this 
section as "the commissioner," shall complete and present to the joint standing committee 
of the Legislature having jurisdiction over marine resources matters by January 31, 2015 
an update on the implementation of the Rockweed Fishery Management Plan, referred to 
in this section as "the plan," dated January 2014, developed pursuant to Public Law 2013, 
chapter 169 and in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 6171, 
subsection 2-A. 
1. Working group convened. The commissioner shall create a working group 
whose purpose is to complete the work on developing criteria for areas closed to harvest 
or that are seasonally closed to harvest and identification of areas closed to harvest or that 
are seasonally closed to harvest as recommended by the plan, and recommend a process 
by which those designations will be maintained and adjusted as necessary. The working 
group must consist of scientists and other experts with areas of expertise relevant to the 
fishery and the considerations previously discussed by the plan's plan development team 
relevant to no-harvest determinations and staff as determined by the commissioner. 
2. Working group membership; criteria; areas closed to harvest. The update must 
identify: 
A. The membership of the working group convened pursuant to subsection 1; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
\ 
(f\ i/' \ ' 
.{ \" ) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A .. to H.P. 1318, L.D. 1830 
B. The criteria recommended by the working group to be used to determine areas to 
be closed to harvest or areas that are seasonally closed to harvest, and the scientific or 
legal reasoning for each criterion; 
C. Based upon the criteria in paragraph B, the recommended process for designating 
areas closed to harvest or areas that are seasonally closed to harvest, disseminating 
those designations and revising those designations; and 
D. To the extent possible, the recommendations of the working group in identifying 
areas closed to harvest or areas that are seasonally closed to harvest. 
3. Legislation. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over marine resources matters is authorized to report out a bill to the First Regular 
Session of the 127th Legislature that is related to the implementation of the plan update 
submitted pursuant to this section. ' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the majority report and replaces section 2 of the bill, 
requires the Commissioner of Marine Resources to provide an update to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over marine resources matters by 
January 31,2015, on the implementation of the Rockweed Fishery Management Plan. 
The bill requires submission of a statewide management plan for rockweed and 
contains specific parameters for convening a working group to develop criteria to be used 
for designating areas closed to harvest or that are seasonally closed to harvest and to 
propose specific areas for those designations. The amendment leaves the working group's 
composition to the commissioner and clarifies that its purpose is to complete the work on 
developing criteria for areas that are to be seasonally or permanently closed to harvest as 
recommended by the Rockweed Fishery Management Plan and a process for maintaining 
and adjusting those designations as necessary. 
The amendment requires that the working group include scientists and experts with 
expertise relevant to this fishery and that each criterion adopted be supported by scientific 
or legal reasoning. 
The amendment requires the update to identify: 
1. The membership of the working group that is convened pursuant to the fisheries 
management plan; 
2. The criteria and recommended process to define and designate areas closed to 
harvest or areas that are seasonally closed to harvest; and 
3. The working group's progress in identifying areas closed to harvest or areas that 
are seasonally closed to harvest. 
The amendment authorizes the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over marine resources matters to report out a bill related to the 
implementation of the Rockweed Fishery.Management Plan. 
FISCAL :\OTE REQUIRED 
(See~ttached ) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~ 
. _j.~\i:j{i 
tt~~ 
~~--.£;.:.~~:~~~ 
Approved: 04/02114 Mac 
LD 1830 
LR 2858(02) 
An Act To Promote Rockweed Habitat Conservation through the Consideration of No-harvest Areas 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '{J.' (f-\- <gO 7') 
Committee: Marine Resources 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
The bill requires the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to prepare and submit an update to the Legislature on 
implementation of the Rockweed Fishery Management Plan. The DMR must create a working group of experts to 
complete the work on developing criteria for certain areas closed to harvest or seasonally closed to harvest as 
recommended by the Rockweed Fishery Management Plan. Any additional costs to the DMR to undertake these 
activities are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2858(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1