Maine Revised Statutes

1. Fund established.  The Aquaculture Management Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established as a dedicated, nonlapsing fund within the department. All income received by the commissioner under this section must be deposited with the Treasurer of State. Any balance remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year does not lapse and must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Any interest earned on assets of the fund is credited to the fund.

2. Fees.  In accordance with the authority of the commissioner to levy lease rents pursuant to section 6072, subsections 9 and 13 and section 6072-A, subsection 14 and application fees pursuant to section 6072, subsections 4, 12 and 12-A, the commissioner shall adopt routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to implement a fee structure for lease rents and application fees that are in addition to the minimum lease rents and application fees that are in effect on the effective date of this subsection. Any rent or fee assessed pursuant to this subsection that is in addition to the fees that are in effect on the effective date of this subsection must be credited to the fund. A person who does not pay the rent or fee commits a civil violation for which a fine of not more than $1,000 may be adjudged.

3. Additional revenues.  The commissioner may expend annual revenues that are in excess of the operating expenses of a program under subsection 4 to address matters that the commissioner determines are of an emergency nature to the State's aquaculture industry, to address matters that the commissioner determines are of long-term interest to the State's aquaculture industry and to rebate revenues to all those persons who paid fees under subsection 2. The fund may receive money from any source for the purposes of this subsection.

4. Uses of fund.  The commissioner may make expenditures from the fund to develop and manage effective and cost-efficient water quality licensing and monitoring criteria, analyze and evaluate monitoring data, process lease applications and make information about aquaculture available to the public.

5. Reports.  The commissioner shall report annually to the Aquaculture Advisory Council under section 6080 on all expenditures made from the fund in the previous fiscal year and a summary of work accomplished and planned.