An Act To Allow Trapping in Northern Maine without the Written Consent of the Landowner
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §12253, sub-§1, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §215 and affected by §422, is further amended to read:
1. Trapping without written consent; southern Maine. A person may not, without first obtaining the written consent of the landowner or occupant, trap any wild animal on land in any organized or incorporated place or on the cultivated or pasture area of land that is used for agricultural purposes in any unorganized place located south of Route 2 west of Bangor and south of Route 9 east of Bangor and on which land there is an occupied dwelling. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to:
A. Beaver trapping;
B. Trapping with drowning sets in navigable rivers and streams; or
C. Trapping with drowning sets on state-owned land and public rights-of-way.
A person who violates this subsection commits a Class E crime.
summary
Current law requires a trapper to obtain written permission from the landowner or occupant of certain property before setting traps on that person's property. This bill limits that requirement to portions of the State situated south of Route 2 west of Bangor and south of Route 9 east of Bangor.