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State of
DEPARTMENT
OF NATURAL RESOURCES |
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JENNIFER M. GRANHOLM governor |
REBECCA A. HUMPHRIES director |
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State of
DEPARTMENT
OF NATURAL RESOURCES |
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JENNIFER M. GRANHOLM governor |
REBECCA A. HUMPHRIES director |
POSITION
The
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) supports this
legislation per the amended version of May 16, 2007, conditional on our Hunting
and Fishing License Fee bills passing.
PROBLEM/BACKGROUND
The DNR-appointed Hunting Recruitment and Retention
Work Group identified access to huntable land as one of three major barriers to
increasing hunting in Michigan. With 26
percent of Michigan's land area open to public hunting, communication and
information about current hunting opportunities is essential. This is valuable for both residents and
non-residents considering a trip to Michigan. State lands open to public hunting include the
vast majority of the 3.9 million-acre state forest system, the 340,000-acre
state game and wildlife area system, two-thirds of the 285,000-acre state park
and recreation area system and the 12,000-acre Hunting Access Program system of
leased lands. Federal lands open include
the vast majority of the 2.7 million-acre national forest system, the majority
of the state's two national lakeshores (Pictured Rocks and Sleeping Bear Dunes)
and most of the 120,000 acres of national wildlife refuge. In addition, over 2 million acres of private
lands enrolled in the commercial forest act are open to public hunting. A web-based map system provides rapid access
by any internet user and the ability to upgrade and revise maps without reprinting.
This approach makes efficient use of
existing data layers in the state's GIS data base. It is based on the successful experiences of
North Dakota, Kansas and other prairie states in providing a PDF set of maps on
their respective natural resource agency websites to serve resident and
non-resident hunters. A PDF based system
of maps that is annually upgraded will need additional resources for staff, connection fees, file storage, etc.
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Appropriate
disclaimers will also need to be utilized as maps of publicly owned lands are
by 40-acre area (quarter-quarter section), not parcel mapped. That means if one acre in a 40 is open, the
entire 40 will show as open.
DESCRIPTION OF BILL
Mandates by December 31, 2007 that DNR have a PDF
web-based map system available to the public that denotes all federal, state
and private lands open to public hunting in Michigan.
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENTS
Pro
This legislation will support the recommendation of
the Hunter Recruitment and Retention Work Group and the subsequent
Implementation Group, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission and others in
that it will require the creation and internet availability of maps to clearly
indicate lands open to public hunting in Michigan. It will also combine data layers that will be
useful for other purposes including location of commercial forest act lands
which are also open to fishing. The DNR
is supportive with appropriate disclaimers as to the accuracy of maps and
additional resources to create the maps and maintain and update the information
on the internet. There is no opposition
to the bill.
Con
Currently there is not the necessary funding or staff
available to create and maintain PDF maps of lands open to public hunting at
the county level.
FISCAL/ECONOMIC
IMPACT
Are there revenue or
budgetary implications in the bill to the --
Budgetary:
Initial costs to develop PDF maps through combining
and refining existing data layers and to maintain maps in light of ownership
changes (e.g. land acquisitions, exchanges and sales; properties entering and
leaving the Commercial Forest Act system, properties entering and leaving the Hunting
Access Program system, etc.) will require at least one DNR GIS analyst
annually. Currently, mapping of
Commercial Forest Act lands is six months behind. This is a key component of public hunting
opportunity and will need an additional one-quarter of an FTE at the Specialist
level in Department of Information Technology (DIT). Finally, availability on the
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web will require additional fees to DIT for servers,
network connections, hosting fees, file storage, etc.
The FTE’s need to be
digitized 1.0 and 0.25 which equals 1.25 FTE’s.
Also, the dollars required must be increased, i.e. $133,000/year plus
DIT service charges factored in.
Revenue:
This may increase hunting license revenue, especially
from non-resident hunters, as they become aware of the magnitude of public
hunting opportunity. Specific growth
opportunities for non-resident hunting are available for ruffed grouse and
woodcock hunting, especially in the
Comments:
None
Budgetary:
Revenue:
None
Comments:
Comments:
No known impacts other than a moderate increase in
travel by hunters which should provide economic benefit.
OTHER STATE DEPARTMENTS
The DIT will be involved in the management of
servers, network connections, hosting fees, file storage, etc. They will also have a role in maintaining and
updating the mapping of lands enrolled under the Commercial Forest Act.
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ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION
A
set of county level PDF maps that display public hunting opportunities will
make
ADMINISTRATIVE
RULES IMPACT
Rules can be
promulgated to provide for administration of the act.
_______________________________
Rebecca A. Humphries
Director
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Date
FMFM/Nelson
