Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §101, as amended by PL 1995, c. 532, §17, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

§101.__Nominations, elections and appointments of supervisors

1.__Elections of supervisors.__The governing body of each district consists of a board of 5 supervisors.__Three of the supervisors must be elected.__Petitions may be filed to nominate candidates for election as supervisors of each district.__When the district is first created, nominating petitions must be filed with, and the election must be conducted by, the department.__ After the creation of the district, nominating petitions must be filed with, and the election must be conducted by, each district.__ Nominating petitions must be subscribed by 25 or more registered voters residing within the district, as certified and sworn by the person submitting the petition and subject to such verification as the department or district may require.__ Registered voters may sign petitions to nominate more than one candidate for supervisor.__The department or district shall give notice of the time for making nominations and the time and manner in which the election will occur.__Registered voters residing within the district are eligible to vote in an election.__When a district is first created, the 3 nominated candidates who receive the largest number of votes in the election are the elected supervisors of the district.__Terms of elected supervisors are staggered, with supervisors initially elected to one-, 2- and 3- year terms respectively.__Following an election, the results must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the district, and the names of those elected must be certified by the commissioner.__The commissioner may adopt rules or prescribe procedures governing elections, which may include elections by mail or other procedures the commissioner finds to be fair and efficient.__Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II- A.

2.__Appointments of supervisors.__In each district, 2 supervisors must be appointed by the commissioner, taking into consideration the various interests of the district in agriculture, forestry, wildlife, recreation and community and regional development.__The appointees must be qualified by training and experience to perform their duties.__The terms of the appointed supervisors must be staggered, with supervisors initially appointed to one-year or 2-year terms respectively.

3.__Tenure.__A supervisor shall continue to hold office until the supervisor's successor has been elected or appointed and has qualified pursuant to subsection 2.