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An Act To Enhance Funding Opportunities for the Youth Conservation Corps
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  38 MRSA §480-II  is enacted to read:
§ 480-II. Program to reduce erosion and protect lake quality
 
1.  Program.     The commissioner shall implement a program to reduce shoreline erosion and protect lake quality and to provide informational materials to the public and to property owners who own property on or near the shore of a lake, pond or great pond.
 
2.  Informational material to be provided.     The program established under this section may provide for the distribution of informational material on erosion control measures, including planting shrubs, bushes and other vegetation near the shoreline, spreading mulch on bare soil, placing rock riprap along shorelines and building infiltration steps and trenches to direct water into the ground or woods or away from the shoreline.
 
3.  Program implementation.     The department shall perform necessary erosion control measures on or near the shoreline of a lake, pond or great pond pursuant to the program established under this section as determined by the department. The department may use volunteer labor and may contract with a private organization to assist in the administration of the program.
 
4.  Program funding.     The program established under this section is funded by the Erosion Control Fund under subsection 5.
 
5.  Erosion Control Fund.     The Erosion Control Fund is established as a nonlapsing fund administered by the department to pay for the costs of the program established under this section, including the costs of the department to administer the fund. The fund consists of sums that are appropriated by the Legislature or transferred to the fund from time to time by the State Controller, interest earned from the investment of fund balances, private gifts or bequests, whether directed or advised, donations made to the State and other funds from any public or private source received for use for any of the purposes for which the fund has been established.
 
6.  Rules.     The department may adopt rules to carry out the provisions of this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 2. Department of Environmental Protection to contract with the Lakes Environmental Association. For the years 2016 and 2017, the Department of Environmental Protection shall contract with the Lakes Environmental Association, a nonprofit corporation incorporated in the State, to implement the program to reduce erosion and protect lake quality under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 480-II. The contract must require that the program be implemented with volunteer labor provided by the Youth Conservation Corps for an 8-week period in the summer of 2016 and in the summer of 2017. The scope of the program is determined by the amount of funds provided by an outside source directed to the State Treasurer for deposit into the Erosion Control Fund established in Title 38, section 480-II, subsection 5. In the years 2016 and 2017, the Department of Environmental Protection shall disburse $3 from the fund, up to $150,000, for every $2 received from the outside source prior to the 8-week summer period.
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Erosion Control Fund
 
Initiative: Provides funds to implement the program to reduce shoreline erosion and protect lake quality.

GENERAL FUND	2015-16	2016-17	
All Other	$50,000	$50,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$50,000	$50,000	

SUMMARY
This bill creates the program to reduce shoreline erosion and protect lake quality administered by the Department of Environmental Protection. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Protection to contract with the Lakes Environmental Association for implementation of the program and use volunteer labor from the Youth Conservation Corps for an 8-week period in the summer of 2016 and the summer of 2017. The scope of the work is determined by the amount of outside funds deposited into the Erosion Control Fund from which the Department of Environmental Protection is directed to disburse $3 from the fund for every $2 received from the outside source up to $150,000 for each year.