Title 12, Title 12

The director may carry out a forest rehabilitation program on unstocked and poorly stocked potential forest land, either public or private, with first priority to burned areas. The director shall make use of federal funds as and if available and of inmates of state institutions, …

1. Establishment of fund. The Community Forestry Fund, referred to in this section as the "fund," is established as a nonlapsing fund under the jurisdiction of the bureau to promote the community forestry activities in the municipalities of the State. The bureau may apply for and…

For the purpose of this Article the following terms shall have the following meanings. [PL 1979, c. 545, §3 (NEW).] 1. Christmas tree. "Christmas tree" means any species of coniferous tree severed from the stump and cut for commercial purposes as a Christmas tree. 2. Evergreen bo…

1. Cutting prohibited. A person may not: A. Cut Christmas trees or evergreen boughs on land of another without securing written permission or a bill of sale from the owner or the owner's authorized agents and having a copy of this written permission or bill of sale in immediate p…

Every permit, bill of sale, port of entry statement, or other written document specified in this Article shall be deemed to be a written instrument subject to the laws relating to forgery.

Any officer authorized to make inspections, investigations or arrests under this Article may seize and hold Christmas trees or evergreen boughs until proof of ownership has been established. If proof of ownership has not been established, the officer shall try to determine where …

Compliance with this Article does not relieve or exempt from legal responsibility any person from compliance with the federal regulations concerning any quarantine law.

State police, county sheriffs, municipal law enforcement officers, state forest rangers and game wardens are authorized to make inspections, investigations, arrests and disposals of trees and boughs under this Article.

The Legislature finds and declares that the State's forests are resources of great significance to the people of the State. These resources have great economic value, environmental value, scenic beauty and unique characteristics and unsurpassed recreational, cultural and historic…

The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may adopt rules to implement this subchapter. Rules adopted pursuant to this subchapter are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A. [PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. D, §9 (AMD).] The Commissioner …

In accordance with the purposes of chapter 206‑A and Title 38, chapter 3, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall adopt rules in accordance with Title 5, chapter 375 to establish performance standards for timber harvesting activities in areas adjacent to …

By November 1, 2012, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall adopt rules to allow activities that enhance cold water fishery habitat without a permit or fee. The rules must establish standards for the placement of wood in stream channels and specify that …

Beginning November 1, 2012, the director of the bureau shall administer and enforce the regulation of timber harvesting and timber harvesting activities in areas classified as protection districts and management districts by the commission in accordance with section 685‑A. The Co…

1. Regulation. In accordance with section 685‑A, subsection 14, beginning November 1, 2012, the director of the bureau shall administer and enforce the regulation of construction, maintenance and repair of land management roads, water crossings by land management roads and gravel…

The bureau shall establish a schedule of fees through rulemaking for the administration of sections 8867‑D and 8867‑E. Notwithstanding Title 5, section 8071, subsection 2, paragraph A, rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapt…

1. Requirements for state land. The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may obtain or maintain certification from a forest certification program for state land only if the program, in order to obtain certification under the program: A. Contains performance-based …

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1989, c. 555, §10 (NEW).] 1. Clear-cut. "Clear-cut" means any timber harvesting on a forested site greater than 5 acres in size that results in a residual basa…

To promote a healthy and sustainable forest that contains a balance of age classes necessary for a sustainable timber supply and spatial and compositional diversity, forest harvesting and liquidation harvesting are regulated pursuant to this subchapter. [PL 2003, c. 422, Pt. A, §…

The bureau shall establish a prior approval process for harvesting trees by a person that has committed 2 violations of unlawful cutting of trees pursuant to Title 17, section 2510, subsection 1. The process must include at a minimum the following: [PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §23 (R…

The Maine Forestry Operations Cleanup and Response Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established to be used by the bureau as a nonlapsing, revolving fund for carrying out the purposes of this subchapter. The balance in the fund is limited to $20,000. To this fun…

1. Civil violation. A person who violates a rule adopted pursuant to section 8869, subsection 14 or a condition or term of a permit, variance or decision issued by the director or the commissioner in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to section 8869, subsection 14 commits a …

There is established in the Bureau of Forestry a Forest Resource Assessment Program. The purpose of the Forest Resource Assessment Program is to systematically and continually assess the ability of the State's forests to provide sustainable forest resources and socioeconomic bene…

The director shall establish a process to assess forest sustainability. In developing this process, the director shall build on the principles of sustainability developed by the Northern Forest Lands Council established by Congress in 1990 and the criteria developed by the Maine …

The director shall use a variety of methods, including those specified in this section, to assess the status of timber resources, project future demand for these resources and forecast the supply available to meet the projected demands. [PL 1997, c. 720, §11 (NEW).] 1. Forest inv…

The director shall publish a report on the state of the State's forests every 5 years. The director must submit a copy of the report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over forestry matters by January 1st every 5 years beginning January 1, 2016…

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1989, c. 555, §12 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 600, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).] 1. All-weather road. "All-weather road" means a public or private road that may be traversed durin…

Forms required under this subchapter must be provided by the bureau and must be written in an easily understandable format. In addition to the information required under section 8883-B, the bureau may request information regarding business practices and workers' compensation cove…

1. Notification required prior to harvest. Unless exempted under subsection 6 or by rule, a landowner or designated agent shall notify the bureau prior to beginning timber harvesting. A. [PL 2011, c. 532, §4 (RP).] B. [PL 2011, c. 532, §4 (RP).] When the timber harvesting is occu…

1. Wood processor reports. Owners or operators of all roundwood processing operations shall submit an annual report to the director of the bureau during the month of January for the roundwood used or processed by the operation during the preceding year. The report shall specify t…

1. Harvest report. Except as provided in subsection 1‑A, an owner of forest land who sells forest products or harvests forest products for that owner's commercial use shall submit a report to the director stating the species, volume and stumpage price per unit of measure for each…

The director shall produce the following reports. [PL 1989, c. 555, §12 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 600, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).] 1. Harvesting practices. Utilizing a sample of forest landowner reports and any other appropriate survey methods, the director shall tabulate an annual survey of the…

Enforcement of this subchapter shall be by any state, county or municipal law enforcement officer, including forest rangers and field foresters of the Bureau of Forestry and wardens of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.