2013 Maine Revised Statutes
TITLE 36: TAXATION
Chapter 105: CITIES AND TOWNS
36 §575-A. Determining compliance with forest management and harvest plan

Part 2: PROPERTY TAXES
Subchapter 2-A: TREE GROWTH TAX LAW

575-A. Determining compliance with forest management and harvest plan

1. Assistance to assessor. Upon request of a municipal assessor or the State Tax Assessor and in accordance with section 579, the Director of the Bureau of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may provide assistance in evaluating a forest management and harvest plan to determine whether the plan meets the definition of a forest management and harvest plan in section 573, subsection 3-A. Upon request of a municipal assessor or the State Tax Assessor, the Director of the Bureau of Forestry may provide assistance in determining whether a harvest or other silvicultural activity conducted on land enrolled under this subchapter complies with the forest management and harvest plan prepared for that parcel of land. When assistance is requested under this section and section 579, the Director of the Bureau of Forestry or the director's designee may enter and examine forest land for the purpose of determining compliance with the forest management and harvest plan.

[ 2011, c. 619, 1 (NEW); 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, 5, 7 (REV); 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, 23 (REV) .]

2. Random sampling and report. The Director of the Bureau of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is authorized to conduct periodic random sampling of land enrolled under this subchapter to identify any differences in compliance with forest management and harvest plans based on location or type of parcel and to assess overall compliance with the requirements of this subchapter. For the purposes of this subsection, the Director of the Bureau of Forestry or the director's designee may:

A. With appropriate notification to the landowner, enter and examine forest land for the purpose of determining compliance with the forest management and harvest plan pursuant to section 574-B; [2011, c. 619, 1 (NEW).]

B. Request and review a forest management and harvest plan required under section 574-B, which must be provided by a landowner or the landowner's agent upon request; and [2011, c. 619, 1 (NEW).]

C. Request and review an expired forest management and harvest plan, which must be provided by a landowner or the landowner's agent upon request, if the expired plan is in the possession of the landowner or the landowner's agent. [2011, c. 619, 1 (NEW).]

A forest management and harvest plan provided to the Director of the Bureau of Forestry or the director's designee under this subsection is confidential. Information collected pursuant to this subsection is confidential and is not a public record as defined in Title 1, section 402, subsection 3, except that the director shall publish at least one summary report, which may not reveal the activities of any person and that is available as a public record. This subsection is repealed on December 31, 2014.

[ 2011, c. 619, 1 (NEW); 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, 5, 7 (REV); 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, 23 (REV) .]

SECTION HISTORY

2001, c. 603, 5 (NEW). 2011, c. 619, 1 (RPR). 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, 5, 7 (REV). 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, 23 (REV).