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An Act To Establish the Office of Outdoor Recreation
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §13055, sub-§1, ¶F, as amended by PL 2003, c. 673, Pt. M, §2, is further amended to read:
 
F. The Office of Community Development; and
Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §13055, sub-§1, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 673, Pt. M, §2, is amended to read:
 
G. The Office of Innovation.; and
Sec. 3.  5 MRSA §13055, sub-§1, ¶H  is enacted to read:
 
H.  The Office of Outdoor Recreation.
Sec. 4. 5 MRSA §13058, sub-§6, ¶¶E and F, as amended by PL 2001, c. 703, §2, are further amended to read:
 
E. A foreign trade zone program; and
 
F. The Business Assistance Referral and Facilitation Program, pursuant to section 13063.; and
Sec. 5.  5 MRSA §13058, sub-§6, ¶H  is enacted to read:
 
H.  The promotion of outdoor recreation in the State.
Sec. 6.  5 MRSA §13090-K, sub-§4  is enacted to read:
 
4.  Transfer.     Beginning in fiscal year 2019-20 and in each subsequent fiscal year, $250,000 of the funds received by the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund in accordance with subsection 2 must be transferred to the Office of Outdoor Recreation, established in section 13090-N, to be used to support programs that leverage the State's assets and outdoor recreation heritage. For fiscal year 2019-20 only, funds must be transferred from the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund to the Office of Outdoor Recreation no later than October 15, 2019. For fiscal year 2020-21 and each subsequent fiscal year, funds must be transferred from the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund to the Office of Outdoor Recreation no later than July 15th of each fiscal year.
Sec. 7.  5 MRSA §13090-N  is enacted to read:
§ 13090-N. Office of Outdoor Recreation
 
1.  Office of Outdoor Recreation; establishment.     The Office of Outdoor Recreation is established to administer a program to leverage the State's assets and outdoor recreation heritage to expand the outdoor recreation economy and build the State's outdoor recreation brand as part of a coordinated effort with partners from the public and private sectors.
 
2.  Duties.     The Director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation shall:
 
A.  Strengthen and grow the outdoor recreation economy by developing strategies to create outdoor recreation employment, to enhance business growth and to coordinate with state economic development leaders to integrate development of the outdoor recreation industry with the State's economic development efforts;
 
B.  Monitor, analyze, develop and coordinate outdoor recreation policies at the federal, state and local levels;
 
C.  Coordinate efforts within state government, including, as appropriate, the efforts of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund Board, established in Title 12, section 10308;
 
D.  Establish relationships with diverse industries, including the forest products industry, that depend upon the State's natural resources to ensure recreation interests and perspectives are included in policy decisions related to land management and land use planning activities, including access, stewardship and conservation;
 
E.  Serve as a central point of contact for the outdoor recreation industry in the State and monitor emerging trends and issues that may affect outdoor recreation assets and experiences;
 
F.  Promote the health benefits of outdoor recreation by encouraging active lifestyles for citizens of the State through collaboration with health care industry leaders, nonprofit organizations and local communities to minimize barriers to outdoor recreation opportunities; and
 
G.  Undertake other activities that the commissioner considers appropriate and necessary to ensure the successful implementation of this section.
Sec. 8. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Office of Outdoor Recreation N293
 
Initiative: Allocates funds to reflect annual transfers from the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund to the Office of Outdoor Recreation to support programs that leverage the State's assets and outdoor recreation heritage.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2019-20	2020-21	
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT	1.000	1.000	
Personal Services	$93,260	$118,845	
All Other	$156,740	$131,155	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$250,000	$250,000	

Office of Tourism 0577
 
Initiative: Deallocates funds to reflect annual transfers from the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund to the Office of Outdoor Recreation.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	($250,000)	($250,000)	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	($250,000)	($250,000)	

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF			
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2019-20	2020-21	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	$0	$0	
			
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$0	$0	

SUMMARY
This bill creates the Office of Outdoor Recreation within the Department of Economic and Community Development.
It also makes an ongoing allocation of $250,000 per fiscal year from the Tourism Marketing Promotion Fund, which is funded by a portion of the meals and lodging sales tax, to the new Office of Outdoor Recreation.