Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §8870 is enacted to read:

§8870.__Water resources protection plans

A landowner owning 10,000 acres or more of forest land statewide and engaged in forest management activities shall develop and implement a plan to protect water resources on that forest land from the impacts of timber harvesting.__A water resources protection plan developed in accordance with this section is a public record and must be available upon request.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §8879, sub-§1-B is enacted to read:

1-B.__Report on water resources protection plans.__Beginning in 2005, the director shall include in the biennial report a summary of landowner progress in developing and implementing water resources protection plans required under section 8870.

SUMMARY

This bill requires landowners owning more than 10,000 acres of forest land to prepare and implement a plan to protect water resources from the impacts of timber harvesting. It stipulates that such a plan is a public record and requires the Department of Conservation, Director of the Bureau of Forestry to include in the biennial state of the forest report a summary of progress in developing and implementing the plans.