CHAPTER 335

H.P. 200 - L.D. 245

An Act To Promote Consistent Protection of the State's

Waters

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §685-A, sub-§12 is enacted to read:

12. Timber harvesting activities in areas adjacent to rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands and tidal waters.__Beginning January 1, 2006, rules adopted by the Commissioner of Conservation pursuant to section 8867-B apply in the unorganized and deorganized areas for the purpose of regulating timber harvesting and timber harvesting activities in areas adjacent to rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands and tidal waters. The Director of the Bureau of Forestry shall administer and enforce the regulation of timber harvesting and timber harvesting activities in these areas. For the purposes of this subsection, "timber harvesting" and "timber harvesting activities" have the same meanings as in section 8868, subsections 4 and 5.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §8867-B, as amended by PL 2001, c. 566, §1, is further amended to read:

§8867-B. Regulation of timber harvesting activities in areas

adjacent to rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands and tidal

waters

In accordance with the purposes of chapter 206-A and Title 38, chapter 3 and no later than October 1, 2003, the Commissioner of Conservation may provisionally shall adopt rules in accordance with Title 5, chapter 375 to establish performance standards for