Michigan’s Hunters Helping Landowners Program Approved by Governor
ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 717
AN ACT to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled “An act to protect the environment and natural resources of the state; to codify, revise, consolidate, and classify laws relating to the environment and natural resources of the state; to regulate the discharge of certain substances into the environment; to regulate the use of certain lands, waters, and other natural resources of the state; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies and officials; to provide for certain charges, fees, assessments, and donations; to provide certain appropriations; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” (MCL 324.101 to 324.90106) by adding section 43526a; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.
The People of the State of Michigan enact:
Sec. 43526a. (1) The department shall establish a hunters helping landowners program.
(2) The program shall do each of the following:
(a) Allow an individual who is willing to harvest antlerless deer to submit an application each year to the department to participate in the program, indicating in which counties the individual would be willing to harvest antlerless deer. An individual shall not register to harvest antlerless deer under the program in more than 2 counties.
(b) Allow landowners who feel they need additional antlerless deer harvested on their property, or a lessee of the property with the landowner’s permission, to contact the department and request a list containing all the individuals who indicated that they would be willing to harvest antlerless deer in the landowner’s or lessee’s county.
(3) The department shall include in any list sent to landowners or lessees under this section a notification that the department has not verified that the individuals included on that list possess valid hunting licenses.
(4) On January 1 of each year, the department shall delete all information obtained during the previous year under subsection (2)(a).
(5) The department shall make each of the following available on the department’s website:
(a) A list of all the deer hunting licenses and permits available in this state.
(b) The criteria for qualifying for each of the licenses or permits listed in subdivision (a).
(c) A list of where to obtain the licenses or permits listed in subdivision (a).
(6) The department shall indicate on all forms and information about the program that participation in the program is voluntary.
(7) As used in this section, “program” means the hunters helping landowners program established under subsection (1).
(8) This section is repealed effective January 1, 2017.
