APPROVED CHAPTER
APRIL 2, 2024 593
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
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H.P. 391 - L.D. 614
An Act to Reduce Conflicts Between Landowners and Deer and Add an
Additional Youth Deer Hunting Day
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10264, as amended by PL 2023, c. 187, §2, is further amended
to read:
§10264. Maine Deer Management Fund
The Maine Deer Management Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is
established within the department as a nonlapsing fund to be used by the commissioner to
fund or assist in funding predator control, to assist landowners with the prevention or
management of landowner-deer conflict and to acquire or enhance deer habitat. If the funds
from the fund are used to directly enhance or manage a deer wintering area on land under
the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of
Parks and Lands, the land must be designated as a deer wintering area pursuant to section
1805‑A. The commissioner shall establish on the department's online licensing system
checkoff options that allow a person to donate money for predator control, landowner-deer
conflict prevention or management or deer habitat acquisition or enhancement. The
checkoff options must be prominently displayed and contain web links to information about
how the checkoff revenues have been and will be used. The commissioner shall also print
in a prominent place on every paper application for a hunting license checkoff options that
allow a person to donate money to the fund for predator control or deer habitat acquisition
or enhancement. Revenues from the checkoffs must be deposited in the fund and used for
purposes indicated by the checkoffs.
Notwithstanding section 10801, subsection 4, $2 of each deer registration fee collected
under section 12301‑A, subsection 3, paragraph C must be deposited in the fund and may
be used to assist landowners with the prevention or management of landowner-deer
conflicts. Fifty percent of the funds deposited in the fund from the deer registration fees
must be used for predator control purposes and 50% of the deposited fees must be used to
acquire or enhance deer habitat. In addition, the revenue from each antlerless deer permit
fee collected under section 11152, subsection 9, minus administrative costs, must be
deposited in the fund and be used for predator control purposes or to acquire or manage
Page 1 - 131LR1280(03)
deer habitat. The commissioner may accept and deposit into the fund monetary gifts,
donations or other contributions from public or private sources for the purposes specified
in this section. The fund must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and
accounts. The department shall report annually to the joint standing committee of the
Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters on the fund and
its utilization.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11402, sub-§4, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2
and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:
C. Establish a 2-day youth deer hunting day period, to be held on the Friday and
Saturday preceding the Saturday designated as an open day for residents of the State
pursuant to section 11401.
Sec. 3. Report. By February 1, 2027, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
shall provide a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction
over inland fisheries and wildlife matters that includes findings and recommendations
related to the extension of the youth deer hunting period under the Maine Revised Statutes,
Title 12, section 11402, subsection 4, paragraph C. The committee may report out a bill
based on the report to the 133rd Legislature in 2027.
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE, DEPARTMENT OF
Resource Management Services - Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 0534
Initiative: Provides allocations for expenditures related to assisting landowners with the
prevention or management of landowner-deer conflicts.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2023-24 2024-25
All Other $0 $71,628
__________ __________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $71,628
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 614, HP 391: 12.11152
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 593: 12.10264, 12.11402