| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §7457, sub-§1, ¶H, as amended by PL 1997, c. 225, §1, | is further amended to read: |
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| H. The commissioner may regulate the taking of antlerless | deer within any area of the State, as necessary, to maintain | deer populations in balance with available habitat if the | following conditions are met. |
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| (1) The demarcation of each area must follow recognizable | physical boundaries such as rivers, roads and railroad | rights-of-way. |
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| (2) The determination must be made and published prior to | August 1st of each year. |
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| (3) The application fee for a permit to take an antlerless | deer may not exceed $1. The application must include a | detachable portion on which the applicant shall write | the applicant's name and address and to which the | applicant shall affix a stamp of adequate postage. The | department shall return this portion of the application | to the applicant in acknowledgement of the department's | receipt of the application. |
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| (4) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary for the | administration, implementation, enforcement and | interpretation of this subsection, except that there | may not be an antlerless deer permit system unless | otherwise specified in this paragraph. Any rules | adopted by the commissioner that provide for permits to | be issued to nonresident or alien hunters must provide | that: |
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| (a)__The percentage of antlerless deer permits | issued to nonresident and alien hunters may not | exceed the percentage of all antlerless deer | permit applicants who are nonresidents and aliens; | and |
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| (b)__No more than 10% of the total number of | antlerless deer hunting permits may be issued to | nonresident or alien hunters. |
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| (5) An antlerless deer permit system adopted by the commissioner | pursuant to this section may include a provision giving special | consideration to landowners who keep their lands open to hunting | by the public. |
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