Sec. 1. 38 MRSA c. 3, sub-c. I, art. 1-H is enacted to read:

Article 1-H

Camp Road Management Grants Program

§410-N.__Camp road management grants program

A camp road management grants program is established in the department to provide financial and technical assistance to municipalities, nonprofit road associations and other nonprofit organizations that undertake the maintenance or construction of camp roads.__The purpose of the assistance is to ensure that the maintenance or construction of a camp road in a shoreland zone is done in a manner that affords the water body the greatest level of protection from nonpoint source pollution from the camp road.__ The department shall administer the program and shall award funds in cooperation with the state soil and water conservation districts.

1.__Eligible project.__Construction or improvement projects for a camp road, or portion of a camp road, located within a shoreland zone are eligible for funding under this program.__ Funds must be awarded to applicants on a competitive basis based upon the department's assessment of the degree to which the project protects the associated water body from pollution through erosion and sediment control, roadway drainage, vegetative buffers, stormwater abatement or other design elements.

2.__Project application.__The department shall adopt rules describing the application process.__Those rules must include a definition for the term "camp road," and may include other necessary definitions, and must describe the information required by the department to determine if the application is complete and the criteria to be used when ranking the project.__Those rules may also include any inspection or enforcement provisions determined necessary by the department and may require return of grant money not expended within the appropriate time frame or expended in a manner inconsistent with the conditions of 3 grant award.__The application must stipulate that the scope of work described in the application will be completed within 3 years after acceptance of a grant award.

3.__Grants.__The commissioner may provide funds for eligible projects.

A.__A grant for a single project may not exceed $75,000.