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An Act To Create a Large Game Shooting Area in Piscataquis County
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §1342, 2nd ¶, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 765, §3, is amended to read:
The CommissionerExcept as provided in subsection 1-A, the commissioner may issue a license under this chapter only to a person who operated a commercial large game shooting area during the period beginning October 1, 1999 and ending March 15, 2000 and only for large game offered for harvesting within that area during that time period.
Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §1342, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 765, §3, is amended to read:
 
1. Application. An applicant for a commercial large game shooting area license must submit an application on a form provided by the commissioner along with the required license fee as provided under subsection 3. An application under this subsection must be submitted for a specific parcel of land, and the applicant must demonstrate in accordance with subsection 9 that the applicant has operated a commercial large game shooting area on that parcel of land between October 1, 1999 and March 15, 2000. The application must include the name and address of the person applying for the license and a map locating the proposed site in relation to known or easily identifiable terrain features, such as a road junction or a stream and road junction. The map must be a copy of a 7.5 or 15 minute series topographical map produced by the United States Geological Survey or a map of equivalent or superior detail in the location of roads.
Sec. 3.  7 MRSA §1342, sub-§1-A  is enacted to read:
 
1-A.  Application; no previous operation of commercial large game shooting area.   An applicant for a commercial large game shooting area license who does not qualify under subsection 1 must submit an application on a form provided by the commissioner along with the required license fee as provided under subsection 3. An application under this subsection must be submitted for a specific parcel of land. The application must include the name and address of the person applying for the license and a map locating the proposed site in relation to known or easily identifiable terrain features, such as a road junction or a stream and road junction. The map must be a copy of a 7.5 or 15 minute series topographical map produced by the United States Geological Survey or a map of equivalent or superior detail in the location of roads.
Sec. 4. 7 MRSA §1342, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 765, §3, is amended to read:
 
9. Verification of existing commercial large game shooting areas.PriorFor licenses issued under subsection 1, prior to issuing a license, the commissioner must verify that the applicant operated a commercial large game shooting area during the period beginning October 1, 1999 and ending March 15, 2000. An applicant may demonstrate compliance with this requirement:
 
A.  By submitting a copy of a published advertisement describing the large game shooting experience offered. The copy must include the name of the publication and the date of the issue in which the advertisement appeared;
 
B.  By submitting a dated receipt for services that includes the name and address of the person who paid for a large game shooting experience and supporting financial records; or
 
C.  By submitting other acceptable verification as determined by the commissioner, including such information required by the commissioner to establish the type of large game harvested or offered for harvesting in that shooting area between October 1, 1999 and March 15, 2000.
Sec. 5. Approval of license application. The Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources shall approve one duly filed application submitted pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, section 1342, subsection 1-A for a license for a commercial large game shooting area on a parcel of land located in Piscataquis County.
 
SUMMARY
Under current law, in order to be granted a license to operate a commercial large game shooting area on a parcel of land, the applicant must have operated a commercial large game shooting area on that parcel of land between October 1, 1999 and March 15, 2000. This bill amends the law to allow the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources to approve one application for a license from an applicant who did not operate a commercial large game shooting area on the parcel of land between October 1, 1999 and March 15, 2000 and directs the commissioner to approve an application for a commercial large game shooting area to be located in Piscataquis County.