An Act To Require the Replacement of Trees Cut in Shoreland Areas
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4452, sub-§3, ¶C-1, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 727, §1, is amended to read:
C-1. Notwithstanding paragraph C, for violations of the laws and ordinances set forth in subsection 5, paragraph Q, the violator shall be ordered to correct or mitigate the violation unless the correction or mitigation results in:
(1) A threat or hazard to public health or safety;
(2) Substantial environmental damage; or
(3) A substantial injustice.
Correction or mitigation of a violation that involves the cutting of a tree or trees must include replacement of each cut tree with a tree of substantially similar size and species.
summary
This bill requires a person who cuts a tree in violation of the laws regulating shoreland zoning to replace the tree with a tree of substantially similar size and species.