Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4301, sub-§1, as repealed and replaced by PL 1989, c. 878, Pt. A, §83, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

1.__Affordable housing.__"Affordable housing" means decent, safe and sanitary dwellings, apartments or other living accommodations for persons or families whose incomes are less than or equal to 80% of the area median income or 80% of the state median income, whichever is less.

Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §4301, sub-§§4-A and 4-B are enacted to read:

4-A. Critical rural area.__"Critical rural area" means a rural area specifically identified and designated by a local, multimunicipal or regional comprehensive plan as deserving maximum regulatory protection from development incompatible with preserving prime farmland, forested land of exceptional quality, the continued use of the lands for farming and forestry, scenic values of significant state or local importance, wildlife habitat identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as a high value, scarce or especially vulnerable natural resource or open lands functionally necessary to support a vibrant rural economy.

4-B. Critical waterfront area. "Critical waterfront area" means a waterfront area characterized by development functionally related to commercial fishing activities or functionally water- dependent uses, as those terms are defined in Title 38, chapter 3, article 2-B, and that is specifically identified and designated by a local, multimunicipal or regional comprehensive plan as deserving maximum regulatory protection from development incompatible with commercial fishing activities and functionally water-dependent uses in order to preserve the infrastructure necessary to support and maintain a viable fishing industry.

Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §4301, sub-§§6-B and 8-A are enacted to read:

6-B. Growth area.__"Growth area" means a priority growth area or a secondary growth area.

8-A.__Land use planning region.__"Land use planning region" means a group of 2 or more municipalities located within commuting proximity of each other, at least one of which is a service center community, that enters into an interlocal agreement for the purposes of implementing a regional