§1847. Management of public reserved lands

1.  Purpose.  The Legislature declares that it is in the public interest and for the general benefit of the people of this State that title, possession and the responsibility for the management of the public reserved lands be vested and established in the bureau acting on behalf of the people of the State, that the public reserved lands be managed under the principles of multiple use to produce a sustained yield of products and services by the use of prudent business practices and the principles of sound planning and that the public reserved lands be managed to demonstrate exemplary land management practices, including silvicultural, wildlife and recreation management practices, as a demonstration of state policies governing management of forested and related types of lands.

[PL 1997, c. 678, §13 (NEW); PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §7 (REV); PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §24 (REV).]

2.  Management plans.  The director shall prepare, revise from time to time and maintain a comprehensive management plan for the management of the public reserved lands in accordance with the guidelines in this subchapter. The plan must provide for a flexible and practical approach to the coordinated management of the public reserved lands. In preparing, revising and maintaining such a management plan the director, to the extent practicable, shall compile and maintain an adequate inventory of the public reserved lands, including not only the timber on those lands but also the other multiple use values for which the public reserved lands are managed. In addition, the director shall consider all criteria listed in section 1858 for the location of public reserved lands in developing the management plan. The director is entitled to the full cooperation of the Division of Geology, Natural Areas and Coastal Resources, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Land Use Planning Commission in compiling and maintaining the inventory of the public reserved lands. The director shall consult with those agencies as well as other appropriate state agencies in the preparation and maintenance of the comprehensive management plan for the public reserved lands. The plan must provide for the demonstration of appropriate management practices that will enhance the timber, wildlife, recreation, economic and other values of the lands. All management of the public reserved lands, to the extent practicable, must be in accordance with this management plan when prepared.

Within the context of the comprehensive management plan, the commissioner, after adequate opportunity for public review and comment, shall adopt a specific action plan for each unit of the public reserved lands system. Each action plan must include consideration of the related systems of silviculture and regeneration of forest resources and must provide for outdoor recreation including remote, undeveloped areas, timber, watershed protection, wildlife and fish. The commissioner shall provide adequate opportunity for public review and comment on any substantial revision of an action plan. Management of the public reserved lands before the action plans are completed must be in accordance with all other provisions of this section.

[PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. C, §9 (AMD).]

3.  Actions.  The director may take actions on the public reserved lands consistent with the management plans for those lands and upon any terms and conditions and for any consideration the director considers reasonable.

[PL 1997, c. 678, §13 (NEW).]

4.  Land open to hunting.  The bureau and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife shall communicate and coordinate land management activities in a manner that ensures that the total number of acres of land open to hunting on public reserved lands and lands owned and managed by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife does not fall below the acreage open to hunting on January 1, 2008. These acres are subject to local ordinances and state laws and rules pertaining to hunting.

[PL 2007, c. 564, §1 (NEW); PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §7 (REV); PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §24 (REV).]

5.  Bear baiting permitted.  The bureau shall adopt rules permitting bear baiting on public reserved lands consistent with its land management responsibilities. The rules must permit bear baiting at sites that are accessible by road and sites that are not accessible by road but are accessible by water. Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules as described in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

[PL 2017, c. 262, §1 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1997, c. 678, §13 (NEW). PL 1999, c. 556, §19 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 564, §1 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. JJ, §8 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. JJ, §41 (AFF). PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §7 (REV). PL 2011, c. 682, §38 (REV). PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §24 (REV). PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. C, §9 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 262, §1 (AMD).