Bill > LD1529

This bill proposes several changes to enhance natural resource protection in Maine, focusing primarily on land use planning and forest conservation. The bill modifies the Maine Land Use Planning Commission's comprehensive land use plan process by updating procedural requirements for plan development, including new steps for submitting draft plans to regional planning commissions and state agencies, and establishing a legislative review process for plan adoption. Additionally, the bill introduces a new reporting requirement mandating that future reports include information about the status of late-successional and old-growth forests in the state, detailing conservation actions taken. The legislation also directs the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to develop a comprehensive report on statewide strategies for enhancing late-successional and old-growth forest conservation by 2026, with the goal of incorporating diverse perspectives including ecological values, carbon sequestration methods, and economic considerations from stakeholders like forest landowners, industry representatives, and conservation groups. Furthermore, the bill requires the Land Use Planning Commission to evaluate its lake management program during its next comprehensive plan update, considering potential reclassification of lakes and methods to protect undeveloped lakes with outstanding natural resources.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1529&snum=132