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

BILL ANALYSIS

BILL NUMBER:	House Bill 4597, AS INTRODUCED
TOPIC:	Promotion of Hunting on DNR Controlled Land
SPONSOR:	Matthew Gillard
CO-SPONSORS:	Michael Lahti, Joel Sheltrown, Gary McDowell, Steven Lindberg
COMMITTEE:	Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources
Analysis Done:	April 17, 2007

POSITION

The Department supports this legislation.

PROBLEM/BACKGROUND

Outdoor enthusiasts commonly report that access to lands for recreational hunting is increasingly difficult to obtain. As private lands become fragmented and less likely for hunting, public lands are seen as important lands for engaging in the tradition of hunting.

Lack of easily accessible hunting land is also a reason given for both reduced recruitment of new hunters and loss of older hunters. The proportion of Michigan residents that purchase a hunting license in any given year have declined an average of 10.1 percent in the 1960s to an average of 8.7 percent during 2000-2002.

DESCRIPTION OF BILL

House Bill 4597 amends Section 504 of 1994 PA 451, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, to keep land under the control of the Department of Natural Resources open to hunting, except where public safety, homeland security, and fish and wildlife management are overriding concerns. HB 4597 also requires the Department to promote hunting opportunities, manage lands so there is no net loss of acreage open to hunting, and prepare an annual report to the Legislature detailing the annual acreage change regarding hunting closures.

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENTS

Pro

A no-net loss of Department-owned land open to hunting will assure that public acreage open to hunting will never be less than what is presently available. Further promotion of hunting will likely increase this acreage. The promotion of hunting will hopefully decrease the downward trend in hunting participation. Increased hunters and huntable public acreage will provide the foundation to maintain strong wildlife management programs in Michigan.

Con

The requirement to provide the Legislature with an annual report will increase the administrative workload on the Department.

FISCAL/ECONOMIC IMPACT

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

(a) Department

Budgetary:

None

Revenue:

None

Comments:

Efforts to keep hunting land may stabilize or increase hunting license revenue.

(b) State

Budgetary:

None

Revenue:

None

Comments:

NA

(c) Local Government

Comments:

None

OTHER STATE DEPARTMENTS

None

ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION

None

ADMINISTRATIVE RULES IMPACT

Rules can be promulgated to provide for administration of the act.

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Rebecca A. Humphries

Director

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Date

WLD/OLAF