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.