# Maine LD 1529: An Act to Enhance the Protection of High-value Natural Resources Statewide

Maine LD 1529, An Act to Enhance the Protection of High-value Natural Resources Statewide, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Richard A. Bennett (Independent); status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 481); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1529-132
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maine LD 1529
- State: Maine
- Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act to Enhance the Protection of High-value Natural Resources Statewide
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-04-08
- Last action: 2025-07-01, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 481
- Sponsor: Richard A. Bennett (Independent)
- Cosponsors: 9
- Subjects: AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORE, AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORE - ADMINISTRATION
- Touches household money: yes
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Annual report on old-growth forests: benefit, low. Starting January 1, 2031, the required statewide report includes the status of late‑successional and old‑growth forests. It must also list actions taken since the last report to improve conservation on public and private land.
- Lake protections and classes under review: benefit, low. As part of the next comprehensive plan update, the commission must review how well its lake management program works. The review must consider whether to reclassify all lakes or only some lakes. It must lay out how to change classes, likely costs, funding sources, and priorities. It must also consi…
- More state review of land-use plans: mixed, low. The Land Use Planning Commission must send any draft plan to each regional planning commission and to the DACF Bureau Director. They have 30 days to send comments. The commission must consider those comments before finalizing a plan. After provisional adoption, the commission must send the plan to…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Richard A. Bennett (Independent), Senate
- Cosponsor: Allison Hepler (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Henry L. Ingwersen (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: James Dill (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: John Eder (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Sharon Frost (Independent), House
- Cosponsor: Stacy F. Brenner (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Stephan Bunker (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: William Bridgeo (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: William Pluecker (Independent), House

## Actions (11)

- 2025-07-01: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 481
- 2025-06-25: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate)
- 2025-06-25: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-25: The House RECEDED and CONCURRED to PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-271) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-478) thereto.ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-25: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin taken from the Special Appropriations Table On motion by Same Senator the Senate SUSPENDED THE RULES to RECONSIDER their actions whereby the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-271) On further motion by Same Senator the Senate SUSPENDED THE RULES to RECONSIDER their actions whereby Committee Amendment "A" (S-271) was ADOPTED. On further motion by Same Senator Senate Amendment "A" (S-478) to Committee Amendment "A" (S-271) READ and ADOPTED. Committee Amendment "A" (S-271) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-478) thereto ADOPTED. PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-271) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-478) thereto in NON-CONCURRENCE. Sent down for concurrence. (Senate)
- 2025-06-10: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending ENACTMENT in concurrence (Senate)
- 2025-06-09: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-09: CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAYUnder suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-271).In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-05: Report READ and ACCEPTED.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (S-271) READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-271).Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence. (Senate)
- 2025-04-08: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY.In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-04-08: Committee on AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence (Senate)

## Bill text

- Amendment C-A (S-271), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0613&item=2&snum=132)
- Amendment S-A to C-A (S-478), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0613&item=4&snum=132)
- Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0613&item=6&snum=132)
- Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0613&item=1&snum=132)

## Related bills

- LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed)
- LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed)
- LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed)
- LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed)
- LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed)
- LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed)

## Sources
- [Amendment C-A (S-271), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0613&item=2&snum=132)
- [Amendment S-A to C-A (S-478), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0613&item=4&snum=132)
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0613&item=6&snum=132)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0613&item=1&snum=132)

## Related
- [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132)
- [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132)
- [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132)
- [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132)
- [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132)
- [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1529-132 (as of 2026-10-17).