Recreation Passport Opt-Out Proposal Highlighted in Budget Considerations

The recreation passport opt-out proposal was the focus of the budget considerations for the state’s natural resources department. Throughout the last two weeks, Scott Bowen, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), presented the department’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2024-25 to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural…

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Representative Seeks Funding for Sportsmen Against Hunger

Representative Seeks Funding for Sportsmen Against Hunger

Yesterday, Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) announced that he is seeking appropriations to support Sportsmen Against Hunger in the fiscal year 2025 budget.  Cavitt said in a press release that Sportsmen Against Hunger (SAH) is an important deer management tool and that farmers are harvesting deer year-round. “People harvest deer year-round. Whether it’s farmers with nuisance…

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Michigan Legislature Passes Omnibus Budget, Includes $64 million for Brandon Road Lock and Dam

Michigan legislature passes omnibus budget including invasive carp protections

Legislators passed a multi-department omnibus budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year Wednesday night.  The package, House Bill 4437, heads to Gov. Whitmer for her signature. A condensed analysis of the entire budget can be found HERE. Within the omnibus is the department budget for each segment of state government. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources…

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April NRC Preview

Written by MUCC Barnum Conservation Policy Fellow, Tess Bradley Proposed deer regulations will be presented at the April Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting April 13. The meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. at Lansing Community College, 5708 Cornerstone Drive Lansing, MI 48917.  Topics include deer, nuisance animals, budget discussions, the Pure Michigan Hunt, fisheries…

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Michigan DNR Receives Unprecedented General Fund Appropriations

Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the general government appropriation legislation for fiscal year 2023 (FY23) beginning October 1, 2022. The appropriation provides unprecedented levels of general fund investment for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  MUCC views much of this money as transformational for the department, particularly for fisheries division, said Michigan United Conservation…

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Chronic wasting disease funding looking promising, DNR law enforcement could have funding cut

Both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources reported their appropriations bills for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to the House Appropriations Committee. This recap only covers the natural resources issues pertinent to MUCC. If you are interested in looking at the full…

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