Sec. 4. 38 MRSA §480-I, sub-§2, as affected by PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §40 and amended by Pt. B, §77, is further amended to read:

2. Procedures. The maps and subsequent amendments identifying freshwater wetlands, significant wildlife habitat and fragile mountain areas shall be are subject to the following procedures.

A. Preliminary maps of the affected area or amendments of a map shall must be sent to the municipal officers or their designees.

B. Upon receipt of the proposed maps, the municipal officers of each municipality shall take any action they determine appropriate to increase public participation in this identification and delineation, but shall return their comments to the commissioner within a 90-day period.

This subsection does not apply to maps of candidates proposed by staff of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for designation as high-value and moderate-value waterfowl and wading bird habitats, including nesting and feeding areas, that have a completed Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife field survey under the ecoregional survey for water birds.

Sec. 5. 38 MRSA §480-V, sub-§1, ķA, as amended by PL 2001, c. 232, §16, is further amended to read:

A. Significant wildlife habitat not within another protected natural resource, unless that significant wildlife habitat is identified on a map adopted by the board, except that maps of candidates proposed by staff of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for designation as high-value and moderate-value waterfowl and wading bird habitats, including nesting and feeding areas, that have a completed Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife field survey under the ecoregional survey for water birds need not be adopted by the board for this article to be applicable.

SUMMARY

The purpose of this bill is to clarify the application of rules adopted by the Department of Environmental Protection