State of Michigan DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Lansing
JENNIFER M. GRANHOLM governor		REBECCA A. HUMPHRIES director

BILL ANALYSIS

BILL NUMBER:	HOUSE BILL 4198, AS INTRODUCED
TOPIC:	Extend sunset on deer and elk feeding order
SPONSOR:	Representative Lahti
CO-SPONSORS:	Representatives McDowell, Sheltrown, Hansen, Spade, Booher, and Lindberg
COMMITTEE:	Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources
Analysis Done:	March 2, 2009

POSITION

The Department of Natural Resources (Department) supports this legislation.

PROBLEM/BACKGROUND

The current statute granting authority for deer and elk feeding to the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), after consulting with the Commission of Agriculture, sunsets on January 1, 2010. This authority remains necessary to provide effective and timely regulatory response to address disease issues.

DESCRIPTION OF BILL

House Bill 4198 extends the authority of the NRC to regulate deer and elk feeding until January 1, 2016.

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENTS

Pro

This legislation will maintain all current regulations on deer and elk feeding. It will also allow the NRC to establish new regulations in an efficient and timely manner.

Feeding deer and elk, which concentrates animals at a specific location, results in considerable risk to the long-term welfare of these species. Feeding sites serve as a focal point for disease transmission, alter the traditional movements of animals, and often result in negative impacts on local habitat.

Numerous diseases may be transmitted through the unnatural concentration of wild, free-ranging deer and elk by supplemental feeding. Three diseases of particular concern are bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, and chronic wasting disease (CWD).

Supplemental feeding sites also produce environmental conditions that favor the survival of many disease pathogens which can infect animals.

Con

Maintaining a sunset requires this legislation to be renewed in 2015 to maintain NRC authority.

FISCAL/ECONOMIC IMPACT

Are there revenue or budgetary implications in the bill to the --

(a) Department

Budgetary:

None

Revenue:

None

Comments:

None

(b) State

Budgetary:

None

Revenue:

None

Comments:

None

(c) Local Government

Comments:

None

OTHER STATE DEPARTMENTS

Michigan Department of Agriculture

ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION

Some citizens have expressed their desire to not restrict deer and elk feeding. A deer and elk feeding restriction is a necessary response to the recent discovery of CWD in Michigan.

ADMINISTRATIVE RULES IMPACT

None

_______________________________

Rebecca A. Humphries

Director

_______________________________

Date

WLD/LED