Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §8869, sub-§8, as amended by PL 1995, c. 122, §1 and affected by §2, is further amended to read:

8. Relationship to municipal rules and regulations. Nothing in this subchapter may be construed to preempt or otherwise limit the existing authority of municipalities to regulate harvesting, except that municipalities regulating timber harvesting shall adopt definitions for forestry terms used in their ordinances that are consistent with definitions in section 8868 and with forestry terms adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this subchapter. A municipality may not adopt an ordinance that regulates timber harvesting unless the following process is followed in the development and review of the ordinance: Municipal timber harvesting ordinances adopted before September 1, 1990 must meet this standard of compliance with definitions no later than January 1, 2000.

A municipality may not adopt an ordinance that is less stringent than the minimum standards established in this section and in rules adopted by the commissioner to implement this section.__A municipality may not adopt or amend an ordinance that regulates timber harvesting unless the process set out in this subsection is followed in the development and review of the ordinance.

A. A licensed professional forester must participate in the development or amendment of the ordinance;.

B. A face-to-face meeting must take place in the municipality during the development or amendment of the ordinance between representatives of the department and municipal officers and officials involved in developing the ordinance. Discussion at the meeting must include, but is not limited to, the timber harvesting forest practices goals of the municipality;.__At this meeting and subsequently, the department shall provide guidance to the municipality on how the municipality may use sound forestry practices to achieve the municipality's forest practices goals.

C. The municipality shall hold a public hearing to review a proposed ordinance or ordinance amendment at least 45 days before a vote is held on the ordinance. The municipality shall provide post and publish public notice of the public hearing according to the method the municipality uses for its regular public meetings; and same general requirements of posted and published notice for zoning ordinance public hearings as provided by Title 30-A, section 4352, subsection 9.