| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §8867-B is enacted to read: |
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| §8867-B.__Regulation of timber harvesting activities in areas |
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| adjacent to rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands and tidal |
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| | In accordance with the purposes of chapter 206-A and Title 38, | chapter 3, no later than January 2, 2002, the Commissioner of | Conservation shall provisionally adopt rules in accordance with | Title 5, chapter 375 to establish performance standards for | timber harvesting activities in areas adjacent to rivers, | streams, ponds, wetlands and tidal waters.__The rules must | provide the maximum opportunity for flexibility that achieves the | goal of protecting the public resources while minimizing the | impact on private resources.__Rules adopted pursuant to this | section are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, | chapter 375, subchapter II-A and must be submitted to the | Legislature no later than January 2, 2002 for review. |
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| | In addition to the materials submitted pursuant to Title 5, | section 8072, subsection 2, upon submitting the rules authorized | by this section, the Commissioner of Conservation shall submit a | report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having | jurisdiction over forestry matters that describes the rationale | for new standards and the public resources and values protected | by each standard. |
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| | The rules must resolve inconsistencies among standards | established pursuant to chapter 206-A and Title 38, chapter 3, | articles 2-B and 5-A and retain standards established pursuant to | those statutes when those standards are consistent. Upon final | adoption, performance standards established pursuant to this | section apply to timber harvesting activities in areas adjacent | to rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands and tidal waters__throughout | the State.__The Commissioner of Conservation shall administer the | rules and enforce the standards adopted under this section. |
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| | Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §8868, sub-§5 is enacted to read: |
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| | 5.__Timber harvesting activities.__"Timber harvesting | activities" means timber harvesting, the construction and | maintenance of roads used primarily for timber harvesting and | other activities conducted to facilitate timber harvesting. |
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| | Sec. 3. 38 MRSA §480-E, sub-§10 is enacted to read: |
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