§ 12 §8868 — Definitions

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
1.
Clear-cut.
"Clear-cut" means any timber harvesting on a forested site greater than 5 acres in size that results in a residual basal area of trees over 4 1/2 inches in diameter measured at 4 1/2 feet above the ground of less than 30 square feet per acre, unless, after harvesting, the site has a well-distributed stand of acceptable growing stock, as defined by rule, of at least 3 feet in height for softwood trees and 5 feet in height for hardwood trees that meets the regeneration standards defined under section 8869, subsection 1.
1-A.
Commission.
"Commission" means the Maine Land Use Planning Commission established under section 683‑A.
2.
Forest management plan.
"Forest management plan" means a site-specific document signed by a professional forester outlining proposed activities to ensure compliance with performance standards and regeneration requirements established pursuant to this subchapter.
2-A.
Parcel.
"Parcel" means a contiguous tract or plot of forest land owned by a landowner. Multiple contiguous tracts, plots or parcels of forest land owned by the same landowner are considered a single parcel for the purposes of this subchapter.
2-B.
Outcome-based forest policy.
"Outcome-based forest policy" means a science-based, voluntary process to achieve agreed-upon economic, environmental and social outcomes in the State's forests, as an alternative to prescriptive regulation, demonstrating measurable progress towards achieving statewide sustainability goals and allowing landowners to use creativity and flexibility to achieve objectives, while providing for the conservation of public trust resources and the public values of forests.
3.
Professional forester.
"Professional forester" means a person licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 76.
3-A.
Separation zone.
"Separation zone" means an area that surrounds a clear-cut and separates it from other clear-cuts.
4.
Timber harvesting.
"Timber harvesting" means the cutting or removal of trees or forest products that when cut or removed are transported to a roundwood processing operation, as defined in section 8881, subsection 10. "Timber harvesting" does not include reclaiming trees, logs or bark from timber harvesting or other operations, including but not limited to retrieving submerged timbers from log drives or bark from bark piles.
5.
Timber harvesting activities.
"Timber harvesting activities" means timber harvesting, the construction and maintenance of roads used primarily for timber harvesting, the mining of gravel used for the construction and maintenance of roads used primarily for timber harvesting and other activities conducted to facilitate timber harvesting.
6.
Liquidation harvesting.
"Liquidation harvesting" means the purchase of timberland followed by a harvest that removes most or all commercial value in standing timber, without regard for long-term forest management principles, and the subsequent sale or attempted resale of the harvested land within 5 years.
7.
Land management road.
"Land management road" means a road constructed and used primarily for agricultural or forest management activities.

Legislative History

PL 1989, c. 555, §10 (NEW). PL 1997, c. 720, §§3-6 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 361, §1 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 695, §2 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 261, §2 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 339, §2 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 422, §A2 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 550, §3 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 271, §2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 488, §2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 599, §§7-9 (AMD). RR 2013, c. 1, §25 (COR). PL 2013, c. 542, §2 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 30, §1 (AMD).