An Act To Establish the Office of Outdoor Recreation
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0105
Committee: Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business
Sponsors: BREEN, PIERCE, CLAXTON, MILLETT, VITELLI, AUSTIN, FECTEAU, GROHOSKI, LANDRY
Amends: 5 MRSA §13055, 5 MRSA §13058, 5 MRSA §13090-K, 5 MRSA §13090-N

Legislative Document
No. 105
S.P. 33
In Senate, January 17, 2019
An Act To Establish the Office of Outdoor Recreation
Reference to the Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and 
Business suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BREEN of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative PIERCE of Falmouth and
Senators: CLAXTON of Androscoggin, MILLETT of Cumberland, SANBORN, L. of 
Cumberland, VITELLI of Sagadahoc, Representatives: AUSTIN of Skowhegan, FECTEAU of 
Biddeford, GROHOSKI of Ellsworth, LANDRY of Farmington.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §13055, sub-§1, ¶F, as amended by PL 2003, c. 673, Pt. M, §2, 
is further amended to read:
F.  The Office of Community Development; and
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §13055, sub-§1, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 673, Pt. M, §2, 
is amended to read:
G.  The Office of Innovation.; and
Sec. 3.  5 MRSA §13055, sub-§1, ¶H is enacted to read:
H.  The Office of Outdoor Recreation.
Sec. 4.  5 MRSA §13058, sub-§6, ¶¶E and F, as amended by PL 2001, c. 703, 
§2, are further amended to read:
E.  A foreign trade zone program; and
F.  The Business Assistance Referral and Facilitation Program, pursuant to section 
13063.; and
Sec. 5.  5 MRSA §13058, sub-§6, ¶H is enacted to read:
H.  The promotion of outdoor recreation in the State.
Sec. 6.  5 MRSA §13090-K, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4.  Transfer.  Beginning in fiscal year 2019-20 and in each subsequent fiscal year, 
$250,000 of the funds received by the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund in accordance 
with subsection 2 must be transferred to the Office of Outdoor Recreation, established in 
section 13090-N, to be used to support programs that leverage the State's assets and 
outdoor recreation heritage.  For fiscal year 2019-20 only, funds must be transferred from 
the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund to the Office of Outdoor Recreation no later than 
October 15, 2019.  For fiscal year 2020-21 and each subsequent fiscal year, funds must be 
transferred from the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund to the Office of Outdoor 
Recreation no later than July 15th of each fiscal year.
Sec. 7.  5 MRSA §13090-N is enacted to read:
§13090-N.  Office of Outdoor Recreation
1.  Office of Outdoor Recreation; establishment.  The Office of Outdoor 
Recreation is established to administer a program to leverage the State's assets and 
outdoor recreation heritage to expand the outdoor recreation economy and build the 
State's outdoor recreation brand as part of a coordinated effort with partners from the 
public and private sectors.
2.  Duties.  The Director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation shall:
A.  Strengthen and grow the outdoor recreation economy by developing strategies to 
create outdoor recreation employment, to enhance business growth and to coordinate 
with state economic development leaders to integrate development of the outdoor 
recreation industry with the State's economic development efforts;
B.  Monitor, analyze, develop and coordinate outdoor recreation policies at the 
federal, state and local levels;
C.  Coordinate efforts within state government, including, as appropriate, the efforts 
of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and 
Lands, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Outdoor 
Heritage Fund Board, established in Title 12, section 10308;
D.  Establish relationships with diverse industries, including the forest products 
industry, that depend upon the State's natural resources to ensure recreation interests 
and perspectives are included in policy decisions related to land management and 
land use planning activities, including access, stewardship and conservation;
E.  Serve as a central point of contact for the outdoor recreation industry in the State 
and monitor emerging trends and issues that may affect outdoor recreation assets and 
experiences;
F.  Promote the health benefits of outdoor recreation by encouraging active lifestyles 
for citizens of the State through collaboration with health care industry leaders, 
nonprofit organizations and local communities to minimize barriers to outdoor 
recreation opportunities; and
G.  Undertake other activities that the commissioner considers appropriate and 
necessary to ensure the successful implementation of this section.
Sec. 8.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
Office of Outdoor Recreation N293
Initiative:  Allocates funds to reflect annual transfers from the Tourism Marketing 
Promotion Fund to the Office of Outdoor Recreation to support programs that leverage 
the State's assets and outdoor recreation heritage.
Office of Tourism 0577
Initiative:  Deallocates funds to reflect annual transfers from the Tourism Marketing 
Promotion Fund to the Office of Outdoor Recreation.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
2019-20
2020-21
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
1.000
1.000
Personal Services
$93,260
$118,845
All Other
$156,740
$131,155
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL
$250,000
$250,000
SUMMARY
This bill creates the Office of Outdoor Recreation within the Department of 
Economic and Community Development.
It also makes an ongoing allocation of $250,000 per fiscal year from the Tourism 
Marketing Promotion Fund, which is funded by a portion of the meals and lodging sales 
tax, to the new Office of Outdoor Recreation.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
($250,000)
($250,000)
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL
($250,000)
($250,000)
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY 
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2019-20
2020-21
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
$0
$0
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$0
$0