An Act to Enhance the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1529
Committee Amendment CA_A_S271 (Senate)
Amends: 12 MRSA §685-C, 12 MRSA §8879

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" fe" to S.P. 613, L.D. 1529, "An Act to Enhance the 
Prntection of High-value Natural ResoUl'ces Statewide,, 
• 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §685-C, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2021, c. 676, Pt. A, §§23 
and 24, is further amended to read: 
1. 
Comprehensive land use plan. 
The commission shall prepare an official 
comprehensive land use plan, refened to in this subsection as "the plan,1' • fo1· • the 
unorganized and deorganized areas of the State, 
The commission must use the plan as a guide in developing specific land·use standards and 
delineating district boundaries and guiding development and generally fulfilling the 
purposes of this chapter. 
The plan may consist of maps, data and statements of present and prospective J'esource uses 
that generally delineate the proper use of resoui·ces, and recommendations for its 
implementation. 
The commission shall hold public hearings to collect information to be used in establishing 
the plan, The public hearings must be conducted according to commission rules adopted in 
accordance with procedures for the establishment of rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2, 
The commission may, on its own motion 01· petition of any state agency or regional 
planning commission, hold such other hearings as the commission considers necessary 
from time to time for the purpose of obtaining information helpful in the determination of 
its policies, the carrying out of its duties or the formulation of its land use standards or 
mles. 
A. The commission may not finalize a plan or a po1tion of a plan without: 
(1) Submitting a draft copy of the tentative plan to each 1·egional planning 
commission and other appropl'iate planning or state resource agencies, which shall 
Page I • 132LR1424(02) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMl11'EE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 613, L.D. 1529 ( S· ;;}7 \J 
forward their comments and recommendations, if any, to the commission within 
days; 
(2) Submitting a draft copy of the testative plan to the Director of the Bureau of 
Resource Information and Land Use Planning within the Department of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau efResou1'ce IAfoi·mation aad Land 
Use Pla1rniBg, as described in Title 7-A, se.ction 206, subsection 4, or its the 
director's successor, whleh who shall forward its the director's comments and 
1·ecommendations, if any, to the commission within 30 days; and 
(3) Considering all comments and recommendations submitted under paragrnphs 
-A asd B 1; and subparagrnphs (1) and (2). 
(4) Submitting the tentative plan te the joint stasding committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiotion ovet· eonse1•ya-tion mattet·s and the committee re•,ie•.;,ring the 
plan at a public meetit1g. The commission shall brief the committee ot1 any 
anticipated changes to land use districts aad subdistricts based on revisions in the 
comprehensive land use plan and a projected timetable for rulemaking to adopt 
these changes. 
B-1. After the commission has finalized provisionally adopted a plan or a po1tio11 of a 
plan, but prior to final adoption, the commission shall • provide a copy to the 
Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, who shall submit the 
finalized prnvisionally adopted plan or a portion of the plan to the Governor for 
comments. The commissioner shall submit the finalized provisionally adopted plan or 
a portion of the plan_. including the Governor's comments .. to the Legislature within JO 
days aftel' the eom•eniflg of for approval during the next regular legislative session HW 
approval. The Legislatm·e shall, by act or resolve, approve, disapprove or require 
changes to the provisionally adopted plan 01· aey portion of the plan prior to 
adjournment. If the provisionally adopted plan or· a po1tion of the plan is approved or 
the Legislature fails to act on the provisionally adopted plan or a portion of the plan 
before adjournment, the provisionally adopted plan 01· a portion of the plan may be 
finally adopted by the commission. If the provisionally adopted plan or a portion of 
the plan is disapproved or revisions are required, the provisionally adopted plan or a 
po1tio11 of the plan must be revised by the commission and resubmitted to the 
Legislature for approval by act or resolve. The joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over conset·vation matters may submit legislation to 
implement the provisions of this paragrnph. 
This subsection also applies to any material alteration in the plan. • 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §8879, sub-§1-B is enacted to read: 
1-B. Report on conservation of late-snccessional forests and old-growth forests. 
Beginning with the rnpmt due on Janua1y 1. 2031, the repo1t must include information 
regal'ding the status of late•successional forests and old•growth forests in the State and 
actions that have been taken since the previous repo1t under this section to enhance the 
conservation of late•successional forests and old•growth forests on public and private land 
statewide. 
Sec. 3, Maine Land Use Planning Commission; comprehensive land. use 
plan. The Maine Land Use Planning Commission, referred to in this section as "the 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" ~" to S.P. 613, L,D, l529 ( $ · d-7 'J 
commission," shall, as patt of the next update to the comprehensive land use plan under the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 685MC, subsection 1, consider the effectiveness 
of its lake management program and whether changing circumstances and new trends 
warrant an update to the program, including an evaluation as to whether all lakes 01· a subset 
of lakes should be reclassified, what methods should be used to revise lake classifications 
if needed, the cost of the reclassifications, possible funding sources and the priority for 
implementation. The evaluation must consider whethet· additional measures are required 
to protect the character and naturnl resource values of the commission's current 
Management Class 7 lakes that are undeveloped and have one or more natural resources 
classified as outstanding by the Department of Conservation, Land Use Regulation 
Commission's Maine Wildlands Lake Assessment published in 1987 in accordance with 
the commission's goal of maintaining an appropriate balance between conservation and 
development. 
Sec. 4. Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to develop 
comprehensive report on statewide strategies to enhance conservation of late-
successional forests and old-growth forests. 
The Depa1tment· of Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry, referred to in this section as "the department," shall develop a 
comprehensive report on statewide strategies to enhance the conservation of late-
successional forests and old-growth forests, including the management of transitioning 
lateMsuccessional forests. In developing the strategies, the depa1tment shall incorporate 
ecological values, carbon sequestration methods and economic considerations from a broad 
range of perspectives to include forest landowners, forest industry representatives, logging 
contractors, conservation interests and local economies. By November 4, 2026, the 
depa1iment shall submit the repo1t, including any 1·ecommendations, to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature havingjurisdiction over agriculture, conservation and forestry 
matters, which may report out legislation related to the report to the 133rd Legislature in 
2027. In completing the repo1t required by this subsection, the depaitment may solicit and 
use resources from other state agencies and outside sources. 
Sec, 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
Forest Resource Management Z233 
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for contractual services to assist with research, data 
compilation, statistical analysis and rep01t writing. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2025-26 
$75,000 
$75,000 
$0 
Amend the bill by relettel'ing 01· renumbering any nonconsecutive Pait lette1· or section 
numbet· to read consecutively. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
24,, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"~" to S.P. 613, L.D. 1529 ( :'), 'J.71 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. The amendment provides that the Maine Land Use 
Planning Commission may not finalize a compl'ehensive land use plan under the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 685-C, subsection I or pottion of a plan without: 
submitting a dl'aft copy of the plan to each regional planning commission and other 
appropriate planning or state resource agencies; submitting a draft copy of the plan to the 
Director of the Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use Planning within the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; and conside1· all comments and 
recommendations submitted. 
The amendment changes the date that the Director of the Bmeau of Forestry within the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is required to include information 
regarding late-successional forests and old-growth forests in the director's report on the 
state of the State's forests from January 1, 2026 in the bill to January 1, 2031. 
The amendment directs the Maine Land Use Planning Commission, as part of the next 
update to the comprehensive land use plan, to consider the effectiveness of its lake 
management program and whether changing circumstances and new trends warrant an 
update to the program. 
The amendment also directs the Depaitment of Agricultme, Conservation and Forest1y 
to develop a comprehensive repo1t on statewide strategies to enhance the conservation of 
late-successional forests and old-growth forests, including the management of transitioning 
late-successional forests. The department is required to submit a repo11 by November 4, 
2026 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over agriculture, 
conservation and forestty matters, which may report out legislation related to the report to 
the 133rd Legislature in 2027. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/23/25 L-Rl-
LD 1529 
LR 1424(02) 
An Act to Enhance the Protection of High-value Natural Resources Statewide 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'A" l S· ;;}1') 
Committee: Agric1,Iture, Conservation and Forestry 
· 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
tppropdations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2025-26 
$75,000 
$75,000 
$0 
$0 
Projections 
FY 2027-28 
$0 
$0 
Projections 
FY 2028-29 
$0 
$0 
This bill includes a one-time General Fund appropriation of $75,000 in fiscal year 2025-26 to the Department of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for contracted services to assist with the research, data compilation, statistical 
analysis, and report writing needed to fulfill the bill's provisions. 
LR1424(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of l