Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §8705 is enacted to read:

§8705.__Community Forestry Fund

1.__Establishment of fund.__The Community Forestry Fund, referred to in this section as the "fund," is established as a nonlapsing fund under the jurisdiction of the bureau to promote the community forestry activities in the municipalities of the State.__The bureau may apply for and accept any appropriation, grant, gift or service made available from any public or private sources consistent with the purpose of this section and shall deposit any such money into the fund.

2.__Use of the fund.__The bureau shall develop a process for municipalities to submit proposals and establish criteria for reviewing proposals and awarding grants from the fund for the purpose of developing and maintaining community forestry activities.

Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §4641-B, last ¶, as amended by PL 1997, c. 759, §1 and affected by §2, is further amended to read:

The State Tax Assessor shall pay all net receipts to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit 1/2 of the revenue to the General Fund and who shall monthly pay the remaining 1/2 of the revenue to the Maine State Housing Authority, which shall deposit the funds in the Housing Opportunities for Maine Fund created in Title 30-A, section 4853. From the remaining revenue, the Treasurer of State shall pay 10%, reduced by any federal funds received for community forestry, but not exceeding $400,000 annually, to the Community Forestry Fund created in Title 12, section 8705 and deposit the remainder of the revenue in the General Fund.

SUMMARY

The bill establishes the Community Forestry Fund under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 8705 and provides for the distribution of a portion of real estate transfer tax revenues, up to $400,000 annually, to the fund to be administered by the Department of Conservation, Bureau of Forestry to support the development and maintenance of community forestry activities.