PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §§8203 and 8204  are enacted to read:
§ 8203. Firewood emergency response group
The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall establish a firewood emergency response group to respond to reports of infestation of firewood by invasive species. Membership in the firewood emergency response group may include one forest ranger, one public forester, one private forester, one entomologist, one landowner, one municipal official and one law enforcement official as the commissioner determines appropriate. At least once a year, the firewood emergency response group shall meet to develop and discuss educational programming and response efforts to prepare for an infestation incident involving firewood.
§ 8204. Firewood Infestation Education Fund
The Firewood Infestation Education Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established. The fund is a nonlapsing fund administered by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for the purposes of educating the public about and promoting public awareness of the dangers of infestation of invasive species through the importation of firewood into the State, which may include Internet marketing, mapping resources and tools for landowners. Money in the fund consists of appropriations or allocations for the purpose of the fund and any other money, including federal money and other public and private contributions, deposited into the fund. Income from investment of the fund must be deposited to the credit of the fund.
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Firewood Infestation Education Fund N206
 
Initiative: Provides allocations to establish the new Firewood Infestation Education Fund to be used in educating the public and promoting public awareness of the dangers of infestation of invasive species through importation of firewood.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2015-16	2016-17	
All Other	$500	$500	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$500	$500	
 
’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the majority report, moves the allocation of the statutory provisions of the bill from the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7 to Title 12, establishes the number of individuals who may serve on the firewood emergency response group and clarifies the nature of the annual meeting to be held by the response group. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)