Sec. A-7. 12 MRSA §6072, sub-§9, as amended by PL 1987, c. 453, §1 and PL 1995, c. 502, Pt. E, §30, is further amended to read:

9. Rents. After consulting with the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands, the commissioner shall determine the rent which shall that must be paid under each lease. The rent shall must represent a fair value based upon the use of and any structures in the leased area, but in no instance may the rental fee be set at less than $50 an acre or more than $100 an acre. The commissioner shall have has the discretion to increase the rental fees for categories of leases. These changes may take effect over the term of a lease. The commissioner also may discount a portion of the rental fee during the first 2 years of operation of a new lease. This discounted rate shall may not be less than $50 an acre.

Sec. A-8. 12 MRSA §6072, sub-§12, as repealed and replaced by PL 2003, c. 247, §8, is amended to read:

12. Renewal. The commissioner shall renew a lease if:

A. The commissioner receives, at least 90 days prior to the termination of a lease, an application for renewal that includes information on the type and amount of aquaculture to be conducted during the new lease term;

B. The lessee has complied with the lease agreement during the term of the lease;

C. The commissioner determines that renewal of the lease is in the best interest of the State;

D. The Except as provided in subsection 13-A, the renewal will not cause the lessee to become a tenant of any kind in leases covering an aggregate of more than 250 300 acres; and

E. The lease is not being held for speculative purposes.

When aquaculture has not been routinely or substantially conducted on a lease that is proposed for renewal, the commissioner may renew the lease, as long as the proposed renewal will continue to meet the criteria for approval in subsection 7- A.