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An Act Regarding Nuisance Beaver
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §12404, sub-§2,  as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §242 and affected by §422, is further amended to read:
 
2. Beaver.   A person may not take or kill beaver under sections 12401 and 12402. The commissioner may cause agents of the department to take nuisance beaver at any time. The commissioner shall authorize a municipality to remove a nuisance beaver by hunting at any time if the municipality demonstrates to the commissioner’s satisfaction that beaver-related activities have repeatedly blocked or partially blocked a public roadway culvert jeopardizing the integrity of that road.
 
A person who violates this subsection commits a Class E crime.
 
SUMMARY
Under current law, a municipality that wishes to remove a nuisance beaver must hire an animal control agent licensed by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to trap the nuisance beaver. This bill requires the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to authorize a municipality to remove nuisance beaver by hunting if the municipality demonstrates that beaver-related activities have repeatedly jeopardized the integrity of a public road.