The Maine Deer Management Fund, referred to in this section as “the fund,” is established within the department as a nonlapsing fund to be used by the commissioner to fund or assist in funding predator control and to acquire or enhance deer habitat. If the funds from the fund are used to directly enhance or manage a deer wintering area on land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands, the land must be designated as a deer wintering area pursuant to section 1805?A. The commissioner shall establish on the department’s online licensing system checkoff options that allow a person to donate money for predator control or deer habitat acquisition or enhancement. The checkoff options must be prominently displayed and contain web links to information about how the checkoff revenues have been and will be used. The commissioner shall also print in a prominent place on every paper application for a hunting license checkoff options that allow a person to donate money to the fund for predator control or deer habitat acquisition or enhancement. Revenues from the checkoffs must be deposited in the fund and used for purposes indicated by the checkoffs. [PL 2023, c. 187, §2 (AMD).]

Notwithstanding section 10801, subsection 4, $2 of each deer registration fee collected under section 12301?A, subsection 3, paragraph C must be deposited in the fund. Fifty percent of the funds deposited in the fund from the deer registration fees must be used for predator control purposes and 50% of the deposited fees must be used to acquire or enhance deer habitat. In addition, the revenue from each antlerless deer permit fee collected under section 11152, subsection 9, minus administrative costs, must be deposited in the fund. The commissioner may accept and deposit into the fund monetary gifts, donations or other contributions from public or private sources for the purposes specified in this section. The fund must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts. The department shall report annually to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife matters on the fund and its utilization. [PL 2021, c. 599, §1 (AMD).]