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An Act To Revoke the Hunting License of a Person Charged with Defacing Property Posting Signs
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10652, sub-§1, ¶B, as amended by PL 2011, c. 253, §7 and c. 682, §38, is further amended to read:
 
B. A person may not while hunting any wild animal or wild bird:
 
(1) Damage or destroy a tree on another person's land by inserting into that tree any metallic or ceramic object to be used as, or as part of, a ladder or observation stand unless the person has the permission of the landowner;
 
(2) Except as provided in this paragraph, erect or use either a portable or permanent ladder or observation stand on the land of another person unless:
 
(a) That person has obtained oral or written authorization to erect and use a ladder or observation stand from the landowner or the landowner's representative; and
 
(b) The ladder or observation stand is plainly labeled with a 2-inch by 4-inch tag identifying the name and address of the person or persons authorized by the landowner to use the stand or observation ladder.
 
This subparagraph does not apply to a portable ladder or observation stand that is located on land within the jurisdiction of the Maine Land Use Planning Commission and attended by the person who owns the ladder or observation stand. For purposes of this subparagraph, "observation stand" does not include a portable blind utilized at ground level that remains in the physical possession of the hunter;
 
(3) Tear down or destroy any fence or wall on another person's land;
 
(4) Leave open any gate or bars on another person's land; or
 
(5) Trample or destroy any crop on another person's land.; or
 
(6) Destroy, tear down, deface or otherwise damage a property posting sign under Title 17-A, section 402, subsection 4.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §10902, sub-§7-B  is enacted to read:
 
7-B.  Destroying or defacing property posting signs.     A hunting license of a person convicted of destroying, tearing down, defacing or otherwise damaging a property posting sign in violation of section 10652, subsection 1, paragraph B must be revoked, and that person is ineligible to obtain a hunting license for a period of one year from the date of conviction.
 
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits destroying, tearing down, defacing or otherwise damaging property posting signs by hunters and provides for the one-year suspension of the hunting license of a person who is convicted of doing so.