The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this Part necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.

PART B

Sec. B-1. 12 MRSA c. 633 is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 633

WORKING WATERFRONT

§6981.__Permanent working waterfront protection

1.__Objectives.__The department shall establish a grant program for the acquisition of real estate and interest in real estate that constitutes working waterfront in coastal harbors in which the commercial fisheries are under threat due to the loss of essential waterfront properties and facilities that provide working access.

2.__Selection criteria. The department shall develop selection criteria with which to evaluate applications for investment in protected working waterfront properties.__The selection criteria must include, without limitation:

A.__The economic significance of the property to the commercial fisheries industry in the immediate vicinity and in the State as a whole;

B.__The availability of alternative working waterfront properties in the same vicinity;

C.__The degree of community support for the proposed investment;

D.__The level of threat of conversion to uses incompatible with commercial fisheries; and