1.__Definition of buffer area.__Include a definition of the buffer area to be regulated;

2.__Certain landowners not subject to regulation.__Provide that a landowner proposing to cause an impact on the buffer area defined for a significant vernal pool habitat is not subject to regulation pursuant to the rule if the significant vernal pool habitat is not on property owned or controlled by that landowner;

3.__Department of Environmental Protection must provide written field determination.__Require that the Department of Environmental Protection provide a written field determination upon the request of a landowner whose land may be affected by the definitions and criteria adopted in a rule;

4.__Department of Environmental Protection may not assess fine in certain cases.__Provide that the Department of Environmental Protection may not assess a fine against a landowner who acted in accordance with a written field determination if the fine would be based solely on information in the written field determination; and

5.__Process for voluntary identification.__Include a process for a landowner to voluntarily identify the landowner's land as a significant vernal pool habitat and to provide the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife the authority to map the significant vernal pool habitat.

Rules adopted pursuant to this section are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

Sec. 6. Rules. The major substantive rules adopted pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 480-BB must be submitted to the Legislature by January 3, 2006 for review by the Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources during the Second Regular Session of the 122nd Legislature. The Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources is authorized to report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 122nd Legislature regarding significant wildlife habitat.