SENATE DOCKET, NO. 225        FILED ON: 1/12/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 374

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to the forest products trust fund..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 58 of the General Laws as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition is hereby amended by striking out section 17C and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 17C.  (a) A Forest Products Trust Fund shall be established on the books of the

commonwealth.  This fund shall be used to disburse payments to cities and towns within

whose boundaries exist state-owned forest land under the care and control of the bureau

of forestry within the division of state parks and recreation.  The commissioner of

conservation and recreation shall develop forest management plans for such forest lands. 

Such plans shall be approved by the stewardship council as provided in section 2F of

chapter 21.

(b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, all revenues derived from

the removal and sale of forest products on land owned by the commonwealth and under

the care and control of the bureau of forestry within the division of state parks and

recreation shall be deposited in the Forest Products Trust Fund.  All removals and sales of

forest products shall be consistent with the forest management plans required in this

section.

(c) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, 1/3 of the revenue

deposited in the Forest Products Trust Fund shall be disbursed annually to those

municipalities within whose boundaries the removal of forest products occurs.  The

remaining revenue deposited in the fund may be expended by the bureau of forestry

within the division of state parks and recreation in the following fiscal year, without

further appropriation, for the purpose of forest management on lands under its care and

control.  The term “forest management” shall include, but not be limited to, planning,

wildlife habitat management and rehabilitation; fuel management; implementing

silvicultural practices; conducting inventories; mapping; improving the quantity, quality

and marketability of forest products on lands under the care and control of the bureau,

access thereto and necessary infrastructure, including the construction, repair and

maintenance of roads, culverts and bridges and the purchase of equipment and vehicles.