An Act To Restore the Deer Herd in Certain Wildlife Management Districts in Maine
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10158 is enacted to read:
§ 10158. Deer management advisory committee
The commissioner shall appoint a chair and cochair from the membership of the advisory committee. The purpose of the advisory committee is to inform the commissioner about how to aggressively manage the deer resource to enhance the deer population in the State.
The commissioner shall meet with the advisory committee at least once a year at the call of the chairs of the advisory committee but may meet more often as the commissioner determines necessary. The commissioner may, within existing budgeted resources, reimburse advisory committee members for mileage or other expenses related to attending meetings of the advisory committee.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §10263 is enacted to read:
§ 10263. Maine Deer Management Fund
The Maine Deer Management Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established within the department as a nonlapsing fund to be used by the commissioner to fund or assist in funding the management of the deer herd in wildlife management districts established by the commissioner by rule, including Aroostook, Somerset, Piscataquis, Penobscot, Hancock, Franklin and Washington counties. Within the wildlife management districts identified pursuant to this section, the funds must be used to reduce predation on deer, protect and increase deer wintering areas and improve deer habitat. Funds may be used to cover costs incurred by the State in obtaining an incidental take permit from the Federal Government for the Canadian lynx and efforts to have the Canadian lynx delisted from the United States Endangered Species Act of 1973. Revenue from the deer stamp under section 11109-B, the deer management registration plates under Title 29-A, section 456-H and the Maine deer management voluntary checkoff under Title 36, section 5291 must be deposited in the fund. The commissioner may accept and deposit into the fund monetary gifts, donations or other contributions from public or private sources for the purposes specified in this section. The fund must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §11109-B is enacted to read:
§ 11109-B. Deer stamp
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §456-H is enacted to read:
§ 456-H. Deer management registration plate
Sec. 5. 36 MRSA §5291 is enacted to read:
§ 5291. Maine deer management voluntary checkoff
SUMMARY
This bill does the following:
1. It establishes a deer management advisory committee to inform the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife about how to more aggressively manage the State's deer population;
2. It establishes the Maine Deer Management Fund for the purpose of funding deer management efforts in the State;
3. It creates a $10 deer stamp and prohibits a person from hunting deer in the State without a deer stamp;
4. It creates a deer management license plate and directs $20 from each deer management license plate to be deposited into the Maine Deer Management Fund;
5. It creates a Maine deer management voluntary checkoff so that taxpayers can voluntarily support deer management efforts; and
6. It requires revenue received from the deer stamp and the deer management checkoff to be deposited in the Maine Deer Management Fund.