In addition to other duties set out in this Part, the commissioner has the following duties. [2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2(NEW); 2003, c. 614, §9(AFF).]
1. Appointment of deputy. The commissioner shall appoint, to serve at the commissioner's pleasure, the Deputy Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, who must be qualified by training and experience in fisheries and wildlife management or conservation law enforcement. Under the commissioner's direction, the deputy commissioner assists in the administration of the department. The deputy commissioner serves as the commissioner if the commissioner is disabled or absent or if the office of the commissioner becomes vacant. The commissioner may appoint an appropriate administrative officer in the department to perform the functions of the commissioner if both the commissioner and deputy commissioner are disabled or absent. [2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2(NEW); 2003, c. 614, §9(AFF).]
2. Administration and enforcement. Except as provided by statute, the commissioner has general supervision of the administration and enforcement of the inland fisheries and wildlife laws and has the responsibility for the management of all inland fish and wildlife in the State. The commissioner has responsibility for investigations carried out on behalf of the State in matters related to the status and needs of any inland fisheries and wildlife species and is the representative of the State in providing information associated with the status and needs of these natural resources to municipalities, political subdivisions of the State and the Federal Government. The commissioner is authorized to enter into an interstate wildlife violator compact to promote compliance with the laws, regulations and rules that relate to the management of wildlife resources in the respective member states and may adopt rules necessary to implement certain provisions of the compact. [2011, c. 220, §1(AMD).]
3.Employment of personnel. The commissioner shall employ, subject to the Civil Service Law, such employees as are necessary to carry out the duties of the department, except that persons in the following positions are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the commissioner: deputy commissioner; Game Warden Colonel; and Assistant to the Commissioner for Public Information. The Game Warden Colonel is appointed from among the game wardens of the department. In the event that the Game Warden Colonel is not reappointed, the Game Warden Colonel has the right to be restored to the classified position from which the Game Warden Colonel was promoted or to a position equivalent in salary grade in an agency, without impairment of personnel status or the loss of seniority, retirement or other rights to which uninterrupted service in the classified position would have entitled the Game Warden Colonel. If service in that unclassified supervisory position is terminated for cause, the right to be restored to that position must be determined by the State Civil Service Appeals Board.
[2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2(NEW); 2003, c. 614, §9(AFF).]
4. Report to Governor. The commissioner shall make a report to the Governor on or before the 31st day of December of each year for the year ending the previous June 30th. [2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2(NEW); 2003, c. 614, §9(AFF).]
5. Code of operating procedure of warden service. The commissioner shall prepare a written code covering the operating procedure of the warden service that is consistent with the Civil Service Law and contractual agreements. [2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2(NEW); 2003, c. 614, §9(AFF).]
6. Administration of department. The commissioner shall adopt written policies establishing procedures to control the use of department equipment and vehicles. The commissioner shall review and control all administrative expenses, including reimbursement of moving expenses. [2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2(NEW); 2003, c. 614, §9(AFF).]
7. Copies of laws for town clerks or agents.[2007, c. 539, Pt. E, §2(RP).]
8.Biennial revision of fish and wildlife laws. As soon as practicable after the adjournment of the Legislature, the Revisor of Statutes, with the assistance of the commissioner, shall issue a revision of all the public laws relating to inland fisheries and wildlife. The revision must be printed in a pamphlet of the same size pages as the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, and its printing and distribution must be the same as that of the biennial laws, except that the commissioner may issue as many extra copies of this Part as necessary in a pamphlet of whatever size seems best to inform the people about the fish and wildlife laws. Fees may be established to offset the cost of printing extra copies of this Part as provided in this subsection. [2003, c. 614, §9(AFF); 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §18(AMD); 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §422(AFF).]
9.Availability of financial statement. The commissioner shall make the annual financial statement for the department available for public inspection within 180 days after the close of the fiscal year that is the subject of the report. [2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2(NEW); 2003, c. 614, §9(AFF).]
10. Water level danger zones. The commissioner may establish, in accordance with section 10104, subsection 1, water level danger zones. These zones are areas of rivers and streams below water impoundment that are subject to rapidly changing water levels. The commissioner may adopt rules to protect individuals using those areas for hunting, fishing, trapping and boating purposes. The commissioner may not regulate the flow of water under this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. [2003, c. 614, §9(AFF); 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §19(AMD); 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §422(AFF).]
11.Report to Legislature. The commissioner shall submit an annual report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters. This report must identify all specific extended responsibility services provided by the department to individuals who do not pay a particular fee to the department for the provision of that service, including all search and rescue activities conducted by the department. This report must include an estimate of the total cost of providing the identified extended responsibility services. The report must be submitted on or before January 1st of each year. Upon receipt of the report, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters shall give separate consideration to funding the department's estimated cost of providing the identified extended responsibility services. [2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2(NEW); 2003, c. 614, §9(AFF).]
12. Criminal history record information. The commissioner shall collect and maintain criminal history record information pertinent to violations of this Part. The commissioner may collect and maintain other records and information pertinent to other functions of the department, including the enforcement of civil violations. [2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2(NEW); 2003, c. 614, §9(AFF).]
Amended by 2011, c. 220,§ 1, eff. 9/28/2011.2003, c. 414, §A2 (NEW) . 2003, c. 414, §D7 (AFF) . 2003, c. 614, § 9 (AFF) . 2003, c. 655, §§B18,19 (AMD) . 2003, c. 655, §B422 (AFF) . 2007, c. 539, Pt. E, §2 (AMD) .