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Amend the amendment in the 9th paragraph after the substitute title in the first 5 lines (page 1, lines 33 and 34 and page 2, lines 1 to 3 in amendment) by striking out the first sentence and inserting the following: 'Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, and to the extent consistent with federal law, if the State provides a subsidy to a landowner who sells timber harvested from the landowner's land in this State, the landowner shall use an in-state contractor to harvest and transport that timber, as long as the price and quality of the work performed by that in-state contractor is equal to that of a contractor from outside the State. A landowner subject to the provisions of this subsection as the result of a subsidy provided under the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law may withdraw that landowner's land from taxation under the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law without penalty, notwithstanding Title 36, section 581, subsection 3. For purposes of this subsection, notwithstanding section 1778, subsection 1, "in-state contractor" includes a resident of New Hampshire or a business based in New Hampshire.'
 
SUMMARY
This amendment removes the requirement that a person who receives a subsidy from the State and who purchases timber give preference to timber harvested by an in-state contractor. Instead this amendment requires a landowner who receives a subsidy from the State and who sells timber harvested from the landowner's land in this State to use an in-state contractor or a contractor from New Hampshire for the harvesting and transportation of that timber, as long as the price and quality of the work performed by that in-state contractor or contractor from New Hampshire is equal to the price and quality of work performed by a contractor from another state. It also provides that a landowner subject to the requirement to use an in-state contractor or contractor from New Hampshire to harvest and transport timber as the result of a subsidy provided under the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law may withdraw that landowner's land from taxation under the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law without penalty.