‘An Act Regarding the Use of Revenue Generated from Public Reserved Lands’
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §1849, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A. Goals. The Legislature establishes the following goals for the use of revenue received by the division under subsection 1:
A. To the extent practicable, to support the harvest of timber from the public reserved lands up to the sustainable yield on a year-to-year basis in accordance with the requirements of this subchapter;
B. To support land management and public access to public reserved lands; and
C. To support the public purposes identified in this section.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §1849, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 678, §13, is amended to read:
2. Fund established. All income received by the director from the public reserved lands, except income provided for in section 1855, must be deposited with the Treasurer of State to be credited to the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund, which is established as a nonlapsing fund. The purpose of the fund is to support the development of infrastructure to accomplish the goals established in subsection 1-A, paragraphs A and B. Any interest earned on this money must also be credited to the fund.
A. Beginning in fiscal year 2015-16, and biennially thereafter, the director shall determine the amount of funds needed for the purposes of the fund. For fiscal year 2015-16, that amount must include $450,000 to fund the building of infrastructure for land management and public access opportunities.
B. Any funds in excess of the amount determined under paragraph A must be identified by the department in the estimates provided pursuant to Title 5, section 1665 as available to be allocated to the Efficiency Maine Trust for the purposes of Title 35-A, section 10123. Annually, beginning in 2016, by February 1st the director also shall provide a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over the Efficiency Maine Trust identifying the excess funds that may be allocated to the Efficiency Maine Trust for the purposes of Title 35-A, section 10123.
Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §10123 is enacted to read:
§ 10123. Affordable residential heating options
The trust shall establish a program to expand affordable residential heating options using funds allocated to the trust from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund established in Title 12, section 1849. The program must provide funding assistance for new heating system installations and improvements that will significantly reduce residential energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, as determined by the trust. Consistent with the purposes of the program, the program must provide funding assistance to systems on a technology-neutral basis. In providing assistance under the program, the trust shall consider tax or grant subsidies from the Federal Government. The trust may develop specific programs for regions of the State where options for home heating have the highest cost.
Sec. 4. Temporary energy program. The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall develop a program to provide funding assistance in fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15 to the owners or occupants of residential buildings in this State to install high-efficiency, biomass-fueled, central heating systems or boilers as a primary heating source or to replace outdoor wood boilers that do not meet air quality standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The commissioner shall use funds allocated by the Legislature from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 1849 to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for this purpose. The commissioner shall develop appropriate application procedures and eligibility standards. Eligible systems under the program must have an efficiency rating of at least 80%.
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
Land Management and Planning 0239
Initiative: Provides funding assistance to the owners or occupants of residential buildings in the State to install high-efficiency, biomass-fueled central heating systems or boilers as a primary heating source or to replace outdoor wood boilers that do not meet air quality standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
|
All Other
|
$500,000 | $1,000,000 |
 |
|
|
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
Land Management and Planning 0239
Initiative: Provides funding for the building of infrastructure for land management and public access opportunities.
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
|
All Other
|
$50,000 | $100,000 |
|
Capital Expenditures
|
$150,000 | $245,000 |
|
|
|
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL | $200,000 | $345,000 |
| AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF | ||
| DEPARTMENT TOTALS | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
|
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
|
$700,000 | $1,345,000 |
|
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS | $700,000 | $1,345,000 |
summary
This amendment replaces the bill. This amendment:
1. Establishes 3 goals relating to the use of revenue from the State's public reserved lands: to support the harvest of timber from the public reserved lands up to the sustainable yield on a year-to-year basis, to support land management and public access to public reserved lands and to support certain heating system programs;
2. In fiscal year 2013-14 allocates $200,000 and in fiscal year 2014-15 allocates $345,000 from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Division of Parks and Public Lands to fund the building of infrastructure for land management and public access opportunities;
3. In fiscal year 2013-14 allocates $500,000 and in fiscal year 2014-15 allocates $1,000,000 from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to fund a program, to be developed by the department, to provide funding assistance to the owners or occupants of residential buildings in this State to install high-efficiency, biomass-fueled, central heating systems or boilers as a primary heating source or to replace outdoor wood boilers that do not meet air quality standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Eligible systems under the program must have an efficiency rating of at least 80%;
4. Directs the Efficiency Maine Trust to establish a program to expand affordable residential heating options using funds allocated to the trust from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund. The program must provide funding assistance for new heating system installations and improvements that will significantly reduce residential energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, as determined by the trust. Consistent with the purposes of the program, the program must provide funding assistance to systems on a technology-neutral basis. In providing assistance under the program, the trust must consider tax or grant subsidies from the Federal Government. The trust may develop specific programs for regions of the State where options for home heating have the highest costs; and
5. Beginning in fiscal year 2015-16 and biennially thereafter requires the Director of the Division of Parks and Public Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to determine the amount of funds needed to support the harvest of timber from the public reserved lands up to the sustainable yield on a year-to-year basis and to support land management and public access to public reserved lands. In fiscal year 2015-16, that amount must include $450,000 to fund the building of infrastructure for land management and public access opportunities. Any funds in excess of that amount must be identified by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry in the revenue estimated as available to be allocated to the Efficiency Maine Trust. The director also is directed to provide an annual report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over the Efficiency Maine Trust identifying the excess funds that may be allocated to the Efficiency Maine Trust.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)