An Act To Enhance Forest Ranger Safety
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0656
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: NADEAU, CYRWAY, DION, DUNPHY, EVES, LONG, MARTIN, SANDERSON, SHORT

Legislative Document 
No. 656 
H.P. 437 
House of Representatives, March 3, 2015 
An Act To Enhance Forest Ranger Safety 
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative NADEAU of Winslow. 
Cosponsored by Senator CYRWAY of Kennebec and 
Representatives: DION of Portland, DUNPHY of Embden, Speaker EVES of North Berwick, 
LONG of Sherman, MARTIN of Eagle Lake, McCABE of Skowhegan, SANDERSON of 
Chelsea, SHORT of Pittsfield. 
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  PL 1999, c. 352, §§3 and 4 are repealed.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 Bureau 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 employment. The policy must exempt those forest rangers who have 
previously attended a preservice law enforcement training course or a basic law 
enforcement course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.  The policy must require 
forest rangers to attend and complete at least 7 hours of firearms classroom work and at 
least 40 hours of firearms training on a firing range taught by a firearms instructor 
certified by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.  In addition, forest rangers shall 
complete at least 8 hours of training regarding the use of force taught by the Office of the 
Attorney General and at least another 8 hours of training on weapon retention and 
use-of-force scenarios taught by a Maine Criminal Justice Academy instructor. 
Sec. 3.  Firearms training and equipment plans.  The state supervisor of the 
forest protection unit of the Bureau 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, 2015.  The plans must be implemented no later than January 1, 2017. 
Sec. 4.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
Division of Forest Protection Z232 
Initiative: Provides funding for firearms, vests and other related equipment in fiscal year 
2015-16. 
GENERAL FUND 
2015-16
2016-17
All Other 
$60,861
$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$60,861
$0
Division of Forest Protection Z232 
Initiative: Provides funding in fiscal year 2015-16 for training and overtime incurred 
while the forest rangers are training. 
Division of Forest Protection Z232 
Initiative: Recognizes Personal Services savings from managing vacancies and salary 
savings. 
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 Bureau of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry to develop and institute 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 employment.  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 Bureau 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 
GENERAL FUND 
2015-16
2016-17
Personal Services 
$18,909
$0
All Other 
$7,049
$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$25,958
$0
GENERAL FUND 
2015-16
2016-17
Personal Services 
($86,819)
$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
($86,819)
$0
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND 
FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
2015-16
2016-17
GENERAL FUND 
$0
$0
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
$0
$0
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, 2015 and implemented, 
including furnishing firearms and related equipment, no later than January 1, 2017.