Sec. 1. 12 MRSA c. 801-A is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 801-A

PROFESSIONAL FORESTER GRANT PROGRAM

§8011.__Grant established; purpose

There is established a professional forester grant, referred to in this chapter as the "grant," to assist a licensed professional forester to obtain training that allows the forester to certify the management of small woodlots in compliance with sustainable forest practices.

§8012.__Definitions

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

1.__Bureau.__"Bureau" means the Bureau of Forestry.

2.__Certification course.__"Certification course" means a course recognized by the bureau to provide training and certification to professional foresters to allow them to certify that small wood lots are in compliance with sustainable forest practices.

3.__Professional forester.__"Professional forester" means a person licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 75.

4.__Small woodlot.__"Small woodlot" means a woodlot containing between 10 acres and 5,000 acres of land.

5.__Sustainable forest practices.__"Sustainable forest practices" means the standards, goals and criteria enumerated and reported by the director of the bureau pursuant to section 8876- A.

§8013.__Administration of grant; procedure

The bureau shall administer the grant pursuant to this section.

1.__Eligibility.__A grant may be provided to a professional forester who enrolls in a certification course and who pays for that course an amount equal to the amount of the grant awarded pursuant to subsection 2 or the cost of the certification course less the grant, whichever is greater.__The professional forester may obtain funding through public or private sources.