An Act to Protect the Right to Harvest Wildlife
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1343
Committee Amendment CA_A_S158 (Senate)
Amends: 12 MRSA §10050

FmST SPECIAL SESSION
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/\ » to S.P, 559, L.D. 1343, "All Act to Protect tile
Right to Harvest Wildlife"
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1.
Amend the bill in section 2 in subsection 29-A m paragraph B in the first line (page I,
line 14 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "sport" and inserting the following:
'sustainable use'
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 3 and inserting the following:
'See. 3. 12 MRSA §10050 is enacted to read:
S10050. Right to harvest fish and wildlife
The Legislature recoenizes that the harvesting of fish and wildlife by hunting, fishing
or traooine is a valued part of the cultural heritaee of this State. The Leeislature further
t'ecoenizes that these activities perform an essential role in the State's economy and in
funding the State's management programs for eame and noneame species. Such activities
also perform an important and sometimes critical role in the bioloeical management of
certain fish_and wildlife habitats as well as minimizine disease and conflicts with people
within this State.
In recoenition of this cultural heritage and the tradition of stewardship it embodies: in
recQgnitionofthe important role that the harvestineoffishand wildlife b^hyntinfi,f!shjn£
or trappme oerform in this State's economy and in the Dreservation and management of the
State's fish and wildlife populations; and pursuant to the right to food as declared in the
Constitution of Maine, Article I. Section25. the Legislature declares that the people of this
State have the rieht to harvest fish and wildlife bv hunting, fishine or tfaDDinc._subiect_tQ
the applicable laws. rules and regulations authorized pursuant to this Title, which tlie
department shall vieorouslv enforce.'
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
number to read consecutively.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
^^..y- COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "^ " to S.P, 559, L,D. 1343 ^S" |5@)
SUMMARY
This amendment makes the following changes to the bill. It:
1. Removes the section oftlie biU that provides a definition of the verb "harvest" for
the marine resources laws;
2. Amends the definition of the verb "harvest" in tlie bill in the inland fisheries and
wildlife laws to clarify that "harvest" means to catch, trap, hunt, fish, take or kill for
sustainable use, not for sport; and
3. Adds language to clarify that the people of the State have the right to harvest fish as
well as wildlife.
' FISCAL NOTE REQIHRED
(See attached)
Page2-132LR0495(02)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Approved: 05/02/25 I^Kt-
LD 1343 LR 495(02)
An Act to Protect the Right to Harvest Wildlife
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amendetl by Committee Amendment t^'Y ^ \C^
Committee; Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Minor cost increase - General Fund
Fiscal Detail and Notes
Any additional costs to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or the Department of Marine Resources from
the provisions of this bill are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources,
LR0495(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1