| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | | Sec. 1. 12 MRSA c. 201-A, sub-c. I-A is enacted to read: |
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| | | MAINE CAVE PROTECTION ACT |
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| | | This subchapter may be known and cited as the "Maine Cave | | Protection Act." |
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| | | As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise | | indicates, the following words have the following meanings. |
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| | | 1.__Cave.__"Cave" means any naturally occurring void, cavity, | | recess, sinkhole or system of interconnecting passages beneath | | the surface of the earth or within a cliff or ledge that is large | | enough to permit a person to enter.__"Cave" includes natural | | subsurface water and drainage systems, but does not include any | | mine, tunnel or other artificial excavation. |
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| | | 2.__Cave life.__"Cave life" means any life-form normally found | | in a cave. |
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| | | 3.__Natural material.__"Natural material"__means stalactite, | | stalagmite, helictite, anthodite, gypsum flower or needle, | | flowstone, drapery, column, tufa dam, clay or mud formation or | | concretion or other similar crystalline mineral formation found | | in any cave. |
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| | | 4.__Owner.__"Owner" means a person who owns title to land | | where a cave is located. |
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| | | §544-K.__Prior written consent of owner |
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| | | A person must obtain the prior written permission of the owner | | to excavate or remove an archaeological, paleontological, | | prehistoric or historic feature of a cave. |
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| | | §544-L.__Field investigations, explorations and recovery |
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| | | All field investigations, explorations and recovery operations | | in a cave must ensure that the ability to recover and preserve | | historic, scientific, archaeological and educational information | | is not impeded. |
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