Resolve, Directing the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1308
Committee Amendment CA_A_S314 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 538, L.D. 1308, "Resolve, Directing the 
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to Establish a Working Group to Explore 
Opportunities to Maintain Public Access of Land" 
Amend the resolve by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, Directing the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to Examine Issnes Related to 
Public Access to Privately Owned Lands 1 
Amend the resolve by striking out eve1ything after the title and inserting the following: 
'Emergency preamble, Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, a majority of land in the State is privately owned; and 
Whereas, the ability of residents to access these lands is in jeopardy as more and more 
landowners are closing off access to their land; and 
Whereas, urgent action is needed to ensure this trend is reversed; and 
Whereas, this legislation must take effect as soon as possible to·convene a working 
group to explore opportunities to increase access and address these issues; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, be it 
Sec. 1. Working group, Resolved: That the Department of Inland Fisheries and 
Wildlife and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, jointly referred to 
in this resolve as 
11the departments," shall convene a working group to examine issues 
related to public access to privately owned land in the State and oppo1tunities to expand 
this access. 
Page I • 132LR1460(02) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~o<o 
COMMI'JTEEAMENDMENT«A "to S.P. 538, L.D. 1308 ( s~ 314) 
Sec. 2. Working group membership. Resolved: That the working group 
established under section 1 must be as broadly representative of interested parties and 
groups as possible, must be geographically representative of the different regions of the 
State and consists of at least the following 12 members: 
1. A representative of a statewide organization representing commercial forest 
landowners; 
2. A representative of a statewide organization representing small woodland owners; 
3. A representative of an organization managing recreational access to the North Maine 
Woods; 
4. A representative of a conservation organization that manages land or conservation 
easements; 
5. A representative of an agricultural organization; 
. 6. A representative of a statewide organization representing Maine guides; 
7. A representative of the tourism and outdoor recreation indust1y focused on hiking, 
wildlife watching, biking, paddling or other popular outdoor pursuits; 
8. A representative of a statewide association representing hunters and anglers; 
9. A representative of a statewide association representing recreational vehicle users; 
10. A representative from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, 
Bureau of Parks and Lands; 
11. A representative from the Department ofinland Fisheries and Wildlife's landowner 
relations program; and 
12. A representative from the Department of Economic and Community Development. 
Sec. 3, Working group chairs. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Agric~lture, 
Conservation and Forestry or the conunissioner's designee and the Commissioner oflnland 
Fisheries and Wildlife or the commissioner's designee serve as cochairs of the working 
group ·under section 1 and shall make appointments to the working group as outlined in 
section 2. The cochairs shall serve as nonvoting members of the working group. 
Sec. 4. Working group duties. Resolved: That the working group under section 1 
shall: 
1. Solicit and explore strategies to provide private landowners with financial incentives 
to maintain and expand recreational access to important corridors and destinations; 
2. Solicit input from a broad range of individuals and businesses involved in outdoor 
and traditional recreational activities, landowners, outdoor recreation and public access 
policy experts and the general public to understand the history and value of and issues 
associated with the State's tradition of public access to public and private property; 
3. Develop an assessment of the current and future status of public access to public and 
private property, with particular attention to current and future outdoor and traditional 
recreational activities; 
4. Bring forth additional discussion points as agreed upon by the working group; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~o'i> 
l 
COMMITTEE AMffNDMENT •fo" to S.P. 538, L.D. 1308 
[ S· '3} 4' 
5. Recomm.end actions and policies that may be implemenied to better support public 
access to public a11d private property in both municipalities and the unorganized territory; 
and 
6. Evaluate enforcement of existing laws and rules on designated state trail systems. 
Sec, 5. Working group staff assistance, Resolved: That the departments shall 
provide staffing to the working group under section l within existing resources and may 
seek staffing and financial support from other state agencies and private entities to 
accomplish the working group's work. 
Sec. 6, Report. Resolved: That the departments shall report any findings and 
recommendations resulting from meetings of the working group under section 1 to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing 
Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife by February 1 S, 2026. Each of the committees 
may report out a bill based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd 
Legislature. 
Emergency clause, In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.' 
Amend the resolve by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
The amendment replaces the resolve, changes the title and adds an emergency preamble 
and emergency clause. It directs the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the 
Department of Agriculture; Conservation and Forestry to establish a working group that is 
broadly representative of landowner and land user interests to explore ways to maintain 
and expand public access to privately owned lands in the State. The departments are 
directed to report any findings and recommendations of the working group to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing 
Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife by February 15; 2026. Each committee is 
authorized to report out a bill based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 
132nd Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/31/25 L-RL-
LD 1308 
LR 1460(02) 
Resolve, Directing the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to Establish a Working Group to 
Explore Opportunities to Maintain Public Access of Land 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'f Y 5 .~/ ~ 
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
It\, 
) 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Any additional costs to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or the Department of Inland 
Fisheries and Wildlife from the provisions of this bill are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing 
budgeted resources. 
LR1460(02) - Fiscal Note• Page 1 of l