An Act to Update the Laws Governing the University of Maine System's Board of Agriculture and to Rename the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1511
Committee Amendment CA_A_H749 (House)
Amends: 7 MRSA §121, 7 MRSA §122, 7 MRSA §123, 7 MRSA §124, 7 MRSA §125

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " A" to H,P. 966, L.D. 1511, "An Act to Update the
Laws Governing the University of Maine System's Board of Agriculture and to Rename
the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station"
Amend the bill by striking out everything after section 1 and inserting the following:
'See. 2. 7 MRSA §121, as repealed and replaced by PL 1997,c.711, §3, is amended
to read:
§121. Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station
1. Establishment. The department of the University of Maine System known and
designated as the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, referred to in this
seetiea chapter as "the ^station," established at the University of Maine at Orono in
connection with the university and under the direction of the university, the director under
subsection 2 and the Board of Agriculture, referred to in this chapter as "the board." for the
purpose of carrying into effect an Act of the Congress of the United States, approved March
2, 1887, to establish agricultural experiment stations in connection with the colleges
established in the several states under an Act approved July 2, 1862, and of the Acts
supplementary thereto, must be maintained in accordance with the purposes for which it
was originally established.
2. Director. The President of the University of Maine at Orono, in consultation with
the Board of Agriculture board, shall appoint for a term of 5 years the Director of the Maine
Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, referred to in this seetiea chapter as .".the
-^director." After the term has expired, the director is eligible for reappointment. The
director may be removed by the President of the University of Maine at Orono, in
consultation with the Board of Agriculture board, for cause. The director shall work with
the Board of Agriculture board to oversee the work of the university faculty at the station,
The director of the station is the executive and administrative officer of the station and shall
4 exercise supervision, direction and control over the station in accordance with the programs
and policies of the University of Maine System and those established by the Board of
Agriculture board,
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Sec. 3. 7 MRSA §122, as amended by PL 2005, c. 512, §2,is further amended to
read:
§122. Orcharding and crops
The Maine Agricultural Bxperimont Station station shall conduct scientific
investigations in orcharding, corn and other farm crops and, to this end, shall maintain the
farms purchased in the name of the State, and stocked and equipped for the use and benefit
of the station. The Director of the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station director, with
the agreement of the Board of Agriculture board, has the general supervision, management
and control of those farms and of all investigations tteeea on those farms. The board and
the director shall seek agreement on all issues. In the event that agreement ese-set cannot
be reached, fmal authority rests with the director.
Sec. 4. 7 MRSA §123, as amended by PL 1997, c. 711, §4,is further amended to
read;
§123. Animal husbandry
The Maine Agricultural Experiment Station station shall conduct scientific
investigations in animal husbandry, including experiments and observations on dairy cattle
and other domestic animals, and these investigations are under the control of the director
of the station with the agreement of the Board of Agriculture board. The experiments in
animal husbandry may be conducted at any of the farms owned by the State. The board
and the director shall seek agreement on all issues. In the event that agreement can not
cannot be reached, fmal authority rests with the director.
Sec. 5. 7 MRSA §124, as amended by PL 1997, c. 711,§4,is further amended to
read:
§124. Expenditure of appropriation
Sums that are appropriated in favor of the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station
station must be expended by the director of the station with the agreement of the Board of
Agriculture board in executing sections 121,122 and 123. The board and the director shall
seek agreement on all issues. In the event that agreement eaiwtet cannot be reached, fmal
authority rests with the director.
Sec. 6. 7 MRSA §125, as amended by PL 2009,c.393,§1 and PL 2011,c.657,Pt.
W, §6, is further amended to read:
§125. Board of Agriculture
1. Establishment; duties. The Board of Agriculture, referred to in this seetiea chapter
as ."the ^board," as established in Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 4-A, is created within
the University of Maine System. The board shall advise the Chancellor of the University
of Maine System and the President of the University of Maine at Orono on matters
7 concerning the operation and management of agricultural research conducted by the Maine
Agricultural Experiment Station station and university farm-based programs, including
those of the University oflVtaine Cooperative Extension Service, The board's duties are
limited to advising the chancellor and the president on research and programs relating to
agriculture and aquaculture, The board does not advise the Director of the -M-ai»e
Agricultural Experiment Station director or have a role in the operation of research and
programs within the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station station that relate to forestry,
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^1 wildlife^ or fisheries and aquaoulture, The board shall assist the chancellor and the
president in articulatmg the mission of the Maine Agricultural Exporimont Station station
as it pertains to agriculture. The director, with the agreement of the board, shall develop a
budget for the station. The board and the director shall seek agreement on all issues. In the
event that agreement can not cannot be reached, final authority rests with the director. The
board may not interfere with funding and grants for commodity research programs brought
to the University of Maine System directly or through the efforts of commodity groups.
The board shall respect the expertise of the various commodity groups and shall maintain
the integrity of the research being recommended and reviewed by specific commodity
groups. The board shall assist m the coordination of activities with commodity groups
interested in or supporting agriculhjral research. The board shall consult with the following
agricultural commodity advisory committees on agricultural research and extension
priorities:
A. The University of Maine System Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee; and
B. The Maine Potato Board Research and Product Development Committee,
2. IVIembership. The board consists of the following 20 members:
A. A designee of the President of the University of Maine at Orono;
B. A designee of the Chancellor of the University of IVIaine System;
C. The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or the commissioner's
designee;
D. The president of a statewide farm bureau or the president's designee;
E, The president of a statewide agricultural council or the president's designee;
F, Eight members representing the agricultural industry, one person designated by each
of the following;
(1) The Mame Potato Board;
(2) The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine;
(3) A statewide pomological society;
(4) A statewide vegetable and small fruit growers association;
(5) A statewide dairy industry association;
(6) A statewide landscape and nursery association;
(7) A statewide florist and growers association; and
(8) A statewide organic farmers and gardeners association;
G. Two members ofthejoitit standing committee of the Legislature havmg jurisdiction
over agricultural matters, one appointed by the President of the Senate and one
5 appointed by the Speaker of the House;
H. One farmer with livestock experience in an area other than dairy farming, chosen
from a list of 3 nominees submitted by a statewide beef and sheep producers
association, appomted by the Governor;
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " A " to H.P. 966, L,D. 1511
?pcs:
I. Two research faculty members associated with agricultural research at the University
of Maine at Orono, appomted by the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine
System;
J. The Director of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service; and
K. One member representing the aquaculture industry designated by a statewide
aquaculture industry association,
3. Terms. Each member of the board serves a term of 5 years, except that the terms
of legislative members expue the first Wednesday in December of even-numbered years.
Vacancies must be filled by the appointmg authority to complete the term of the preceding
appointee.
4. Chair; secretary. The board shall select annually one of its members to serve as
chair. The Director director of the Agricultural Experiment Station station shall serve
serves as secretary to the board but the director is not a member of the board and has no
vote.
5. Compensation. The board members Members of the board are entitled to
legislative per diem compensation for attendance at board meetings in accordance with
Title 5, chapter 379.
6. Report. The Board ofAgrieytee board shall report at least annually to the joint
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over agricultural matters and to
the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System. The report must include an
accounting of meetings and actions of the Board of Agriculture board, including
agreements entered into, status of demonstration projects, research fmdings, informational
activities and an evaluation of the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station station and
University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service programs, with recommendations
regarding changes or improvements in the programs and the budget. The Board of
Agriculture board shall submit annually to the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine
System proposals for additional funding for capital building projects at the research farms.
7. Long-range plan. By January 15,2000, tho The board shall establish a long-range
plan for operation of the Agricultural Experiment Station station and the University of
0 Maine Cooperative Extension Semee programs that includes but is not limited to plans for
each of the research farms, joint appointments for experiment station and extension faculty,
better utilization of research farms and objectives for research for each agricultural
commodity in the State. The plan developed by the board does not include operations,
research and programs relating to forestry, wildlife, aquaoulture and fisheries.'
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
6 number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
8 This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, retains the provisions
in the bill that rename the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station the Maine Agricultural
and Forest Experiment Station and add aquaculture to the University of Maine System's
Board of Agriculture's advisory duties to the Chancellor of the University of Maine System
and the President of the University of Maine at Orono. The amendment removes from the
bill the requirement that the Director of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " ^" to H.P, 966, L.D. 1511
Station perform the director's duties with advice from the board. The amendment removes
provisions from the bill that amend the membership of the board and require the board to
invite appropriate individuals and conduct a public, facilitated discussion at least annually
to better understand the needs and trends in agriculture in the State that would benefit from
new or additional research.
The amendment also removes from the bill the requirement that the board include in
its annual report to the Legislature an outline of emerging trends in agriculture, submit
annual proposals for additional funding for program needs to the Board of Trustees of the
University of Maine System and update its long-range plan for operation of the Maine
Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station every 5 years. The amendment also makes
technical changes regarding the name of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT