When the State or an agency of the State is the holder of a conservation easement on forest land, the easement must contain a provision that requires any timber harvesting conducted on that land to be conducted by a person who is certified as a master logger under a 3rd-party verification program.__For the purposes of this section, "timber harvesting" means the cutting or removal of timber for the primary purpose of selling or processing forest products.

This section does not apply to conservation easements created prior to the effective date of this section.

SUMMARY

This bill establishes a requirement for timber harvesting on certain lands owned by the State or lands with an interest held by the State. Timber harvesting must be conducted by a certified master logger if the land is managed by the Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands; the land or interest in the land has been acquired with money from the Land for Maine's Future Fund; or the State holds a conservation easement on the land.