An Act To Establish a Permanent Appointment of a Member of the Wabanaki Tribes to the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0361
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: NEWELL, MOORE, COLLINGS, GRAMLICH, HEPLER, PERRY, CURRY, DILL
Amends: 12 MRSA §10151

Legislative Document
No. 361
H.P. 259
House of Representatives, February 8, 2021
An Act To Establish a Permanent Appointment of a Member of the 
Wabanaki Tribes to the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory 
Council
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 4, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative NEWELL of the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
Cosponsored by Senator MOORE of Washington and
Representatives: COLLINGS of Portland, GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach, HEPLER of 
Woolwich, McDONALD of Stonington, PERRY of Calais, Senators: CURRY of Waldo, DILL 
of Penobscot.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §10151, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 375, §1, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Appointment.  The Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council, established by 
Title 5, section 12004‑G, subsection 20 and referred to in this Part as the "advisory council," 
consists of 11 members, with 10 members representing the 16 counties of the State in the 
following manner: one member representing Androscoggin County, Kennebec County and 
Sagadahoc County; one member representing Aroostook County; one member representing 
Cumberland County; one member representing Franklin County and Oxford County; one 
member representing Hancock County; one member representing Knox County, Lincoln 
County and Waldo County; one member representing Penobscot County; one member 
representing Piscataquis County and Somerset County; one member representing 
Washington County; and one member representing York County.  The 11th member must 
be a member of the Wabanaki Tribes.  Members of the advisory council are appointed by 
the Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over fisheries and wildlife matters and to confirmation by the Legislature.  The 
Governor shall appoint the member who is a member of the Wabanaki Tribes based on the 
recommendation of the tribal governments of the Wabanaki Tribes, including the 
Aroostook Band of Micmacs, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Passamaquoddy 
Tribe at Motahmikuk, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik and the Penobscot Nation.  In 
recommending the appointment of the member who is a member of the Wabanaki Tribes, 
the tribal governments of the Wabanaki Tribes shall establish a process that provides for 
the membership to rotate among the tribal governments.  The commissioner or the 
commissioner's designee is a nonvoting, ex officio member of the advisory council, but 
may vote to break a tie.
An employee of the department may not serve as a member of the advisory council prior 
to the expiration of one year from that employee's last day of employment with the 
department.  A Legislator may not serve as a member of the advisory council.  A former 
Legislator who was a member of the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over fisheries and wildlife matters may not serve as a member of the advisory 
council prior to the expiration of one year from that former Legislator's last day of 
membership on that committee.
SUMMARY
This bill increases the membership of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory 
Council by adding a member who represents the Wabanaki Tribes.