SB 1035 – Property tax exemption for charitable sportsmen’s clubs — Unfortunately, this was our biggest loss this session. When everything shook out, townships, municipalities and school districts were able to swing votes their way citing the unknown, potential loss of revenue. MUCC learned on Thursday morning that we were not going to have the votes in the House to get this to Gov. Snyder. This issue will continue to be a top priority for MUCC in 2019 as we look to rework the bill and make it feasible for all those involved. It will require reintroduction with a new bill number and must go through the process all over again.
HB 5321 – Moratorium on the sterilization of game species in Michigan — Gov. Snyder signed Rep. Cole’s bill into law earlier this week, and it was a bill that Michigan United Conservation Clubs helped to craft and get across the finish line. HB 5321 did meet resistance, but the compromise language provides a four-year moratorium preventing the DNR from issuing “research permits” that allow the sterilization of game species. After four years, it will be up to the DNR, NRC and stakeholders to decide if sterilization is an effective method of managing game species using the “research” outcomes gained in Ann Arbor during the city’s ongoing sterilization project. MUCC is optimistic that scientific research will not validate sterilization as an effective tool for the management of game species, and that hunters will continually be the primary managers of Michigan’s game species.
Michigan Pheasant Hunter Initiative — MUCC was informed early this morning that our request for supplemental funding did make it into the final budget bill, SB 601. The supplemental appropriations bill will now head to Gov. Snyder who will have the ability to sign, or line-item veto certain parts of the the legislation. This initiative was a 2017 MUCC resolution that passed unanimously through our Annual Convention. The initiative looks to create more pheasant hunting opportunities on state lands in Michigan.
SB 1211 — Dubbed Casperson’s “wetland destruction act” — Initially, MUCC was opposed to this bill along with numerous other conservation groups throughout Michigan. In its final form after midnight today, MUCC, along with many of our partners who have worked tirelessly on this bill, stands neutral. Most of the language weakening wetland protections that raised flags throughout the environmental and conservation communities has been removed. MUCC Deputy Director Amy Trotter said, “Sportsmen and environmental organizations teamed up together on direct and grassroots advocacy to drain the ‘wetland destructions act.'” Currently, this bill is awaiting Gov. Snyder’s decision.
HB 5854-5855—Voluntary Wetland Restoration Program. Not to be confused with the above, this proactive legislation spearheaded by Ducks Unlimited, sponsored by Reps. Howell and Bellino and supported by MUCC heads to the Governor to create a program to streamline permits for voluntary wetland restoration work done by an agency or non-governmental organization.
SB 1145 — This bill would have allowed the harvest of lake trout by commercial fishermen, which has been prohibited since the 1960s. This Sen. Casperson bill, if passed, could have had serious ramifications for not only lake trout, but also could interfere with the upcoming tribal negotiations on the Great Lakes Consent Decree beginning next year. MUCC stood with the charter boat industry, Trout Unlimited, the Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen’s Association, and Hammond Bay Area Anglers in opposition and stopped this bill from coming out of committee. We look forward to working together in 2019 on comprehensive updates to the commercial fishing law.
SB 1258-1259 — Unfortunately, the recreation passport opt-out was a late-introduced bill that never got legs in the House, after passing the Senate last week. This legislation would have every vehicle automatically pay for the recreation passport unless the owner opted out, potentially raising more funding for state and local parks operations and maintenance. MUCC will continue to look for long-term funding opportunities to ensure our parks and recreation infrastructure can be maintained into the future.
SJR O, SB 763, SB 931-932 — This package introduced by Sens. Casperson, Hansen and Booher, in its final version, was widely supported by the conservation and recreation community and made changes to capture the next rollover of the oil and gas revenues, currently going into the State Parks Endowment Fund (SPEF), to put them back into the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund once SPEF reaches is cap. SJR O will be a constitutional amendment on the 2020 ballot to increase the flexibility of the funding to invest in both land acquisition and recreational development projects.
HB 6123— After yet another battle earlier this year over potentially dangerous changes to our water withdrawal law, this bill led by Michigan Trout Unlimited seeks to reauthorize the water use advisory council to make recommendations to the state on improvements that can be made on the use of data and models, and to the process for using the water withdrawal assessment tool. MUCC supports this legislation that was sent to the Governor this morning.
