APPROVED CHAPTER
JUNE 10, 2021 143
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE
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S.P. 179 - L.D. 437
An Act To Establish the Maine Healthy Soils Program
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA c. 7 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 7
MAINE HEALTHY SOILS PROGRAM
§351. Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms
have the following meanings.
1. Commissioner. "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Agriculture,
Conservation and Forestry.
2. Department. "Department" means the Department of Agriculture, Conservation
and Forestry.
3. Greenhouse gas. "Greenhouse gas" has the same meaning as in Title 38, section
574, subsection 1.
4. Greenhouse gas drawdown. "Greenhouse gas drawdown" means greenhouse gas
emissions source reduction or sequestration.
5. Healthy soils best practices. "Healthy soils best practices" means agricultural and
land management practices that:
A. Enhance the continuing capacity of soils to function as a vital, living biological
system, increase soil organic matter, improve soil structure, strengthen water holding
and nutrient holding capacity, improve nutrient cycling and result in net long-term
greenhouse gas drawdown;
B. Continuously improve the capacity of soils to host a diversity of beneficial
organisms, grow vigorous crops, enhance agricultural resilience, including, but not
limited to, the ability of crops and livestock to tolerate and recover from drought,
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 temperature extremes, pests and other stressors, and help regulate the global climate
by converting organic residue into stable soil organic matter and retaining nutrients,
including, but not limited to, nitrogen and phosphorus;
C. Continuously improve the health of soils by considering all relevant factors,
including, but not limited to, depth of topsoil horizons, water infiltration rate, water
holding capacity, organic carbon content, biologically accessible nutrient content, bulk
density, biological activity and biological and microbiological diversity; and
D. Follow the principles of minimizing soil disturbance and external inputs: keeping
soil covered, maximizing biodiversity, maximizing the presence of living roots and
integrating animals into land management, including grazing animals, birds, beneficial
insects and keystone species, such as earthworms.
§352. Program established
The Maine Healthy Soils Program, referred to in this chapter as "the program," is
established within the department and is administered by the commissioner. The
commissioner shall consult and cooperate with the University of Maine, the University of
Maine Cooperative Extension, soil and water conservation districts as defined in section 3,
subsection 2 and the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources
Conservation Service in the development and administration of the program. The
commissioner may consult with the Department of Environmental Protection in carrying
out the purpose of the program.
1. Purpose. The purpose of the program is to:
A. Improve the health, yield and profitability of the State's diverse agricultural soils
and commodities;
B. Protect native biological and microbiological diversity, vitality and health and
increase the greenhouse gas drawdown provided by the State's agricultural soils;
C. Promote healthy soils agricultural practices based on indigenous knowledge,
current understanding and emerging soil science as determined by the department; and
D. Promote and expand the use of healthy soils best practices among farmers and
farmland owners in the State.
2. Responsibilities of the commissioner. To carry out the purposes of the program,
the commissioner shall:
A. Provide information and educational materials to educate farmers and farmland
owners about the benefits of implementing practices that achieve the purposes of the
program. The commissioner shall:
(1) Increase opportunities for farmer-to-farmer outreach and education by
highlighting farmers and farmland owners using healthy soils best practices
successfully;
(2) Facilitate peer learning opportunities for farmers and farmland owners engaged
in a broad range of healthy soils best practices, maintaining an active network of
practitioners and technical experts and highlighting related services and
programming; and
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 (3) Aggregate and highlight opportunities for grant funding, loan programs and
other forms of financial assistance to support the use of healthy soils best practices
by farmers and farmland owners;
B. Investigate opportunities for market-based levers and promotional activities that
incentivize healthy soils best practices;
C. Subject to availability of funding, support and make available incentives, such as
technical assistance, financial assistance and research support, to implement healthy
soils best practices;
D. Design the program to equitably distribute incentives to beginning and socially
disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as defined by 7 United States Code, Section
2279(a); and
E. Determine how the program may be implemented to enhance other state and federal
programs that provide financial assistance to farmers implementing healthy soils best
practices.
§353. Maine Healthy Soils Fund
The Maine Healthy Soils Fund is established as a nonlapsing separate account to be
administered by the commissioner. Income from gifts, grants, fees and other sources may
be deposited into the fund. All money in the fund and earnings on that money must be used
for the purposes of this chapter.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
Maine Healthy Soils Fund N358
Initiative: Provides an allocation to accept grants, bequests, gifts or contributions from any
source, public or private, to support the administration of the healthy soils program.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2021-22 2022-23
All Other $500 $500
__________ __________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $500 $500
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