Michigan State Report - MAFWA



MICHIGANSTATE REPORTJune 1, 2016Dr. William Moritz, DirectorMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesP.O. Box 30028Lansing, Michigan 48909STAFFINGThe Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has 1,437 permanent employees, more than 1,600 non-career/seasonal employees and a $404 million budget that supports programs for wildlife and fisheries management, state parks and recreation areas, trails, boating programs, conservation and law enforcement, forest management, state lands and minerals, the historical museum and archives.Director William Moritz is in his first year as the DNR Director. Former Director Keith Creagh is now the Director for the Department of Environmental Quality. Mr. William O’Neill is the Natural Resources Deputy. FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016 BUDGETThe DNR budget is $404,001,200 for fiscal year (FY) 2016, a five percent increase from FY?2015. The DNR is funded by state General Fund (GF) revenues, federal funds, and a variety of restricted funds. The budget consists of ten percent General Funds, 19 percent federal funds and 71?percent restricted funds. Federal funding consists mainly of special purpose categorical grants from various federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal funds support programs for wildlife and fisheries habitat and management, forest management, recreation and other natural resource programs. Restricted funding is generated from licenses, user fees, and other charges. These funds support programs for wildlife and fisheries programs, operation of Michigan’s 102?state parks, harbor and boating access site development, marine safety enforcement and education, snowmobile and off-road vehicle trail repair and development, and operation of Michigan’s 135?state forest campgrounds. The DNR also generates timber sales revenue from state lands. Approximately 90?percent of timber sales revenue goes to the Forest Development Fund and is used for the protection and development of our state forests. The other ten?percent of timber sales goes toward the Game and Fish Protection Trust Fund.A significant addition to the budget was $10 million of Forest Development Funds to invest in the forest industry. The DNR is investing in technology such as the Vegetative Management System which is used for the state forest inventory, treatment plans, timber sale information, etc. In addition, a significant investment was made to provide mobile technology to the foresters. The pilot program has been producing favorable results from our employees as well as industry. On-line timber sale bidding is now available to the industry.The DNR is in the process of completing another conservation officer academy. Upon completion of this academy, every county will have at least two conservation officers. This is a tremendous turnaround from four years ago when the DNR had three counties without any conservation officers, and many with only one. The investment in conservation officers was made possible by additional GF, and revenue from the hunting and fishing license restructuring which became effective March 1, 2014.The budget did contain an appropriation of $5 million from a settlement for the Kalamazoo River oil spill. With these funds, the DNR will be able to remove two dams from this river which are close to failure. These efforts will restore fish habitat and remove hazardous safety issues.Funding for shooting ranges was also included in the budget. The funding consists of $4 million from Pittman-Robertson and $250,000 from GF to be used as a match. There are plans to construct a new shooting range near Traverse City and address approximately 12 other sites which have safety issues or conflict with surrounding citizens.The DNR continues to address invasive species. Over the last two years, the DNR has awarded grants of over $7.2 million in GF to address invasive species. Regional groups have been formed to provide leadership and guidance in the treatment and removal of invasive species. The DNR recently completed its terrestrial invasive species plan and is working to implement it.LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITYMany of the same issues, especially public land ownership, public land accessibility, and the dedication of restricted funds for land acquisition and development, continue to be discussed in elected offices and in the media. The DNR continues to work with the Legislature on the adoption of its Managed Public Land Strategy plan and the land cap removal.NOTEWORTHY DIVISION ISSUESChronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Michigan’s deer herd has been detected in the central lower portion of the state. Disease permits have been issued and deer licenses have been discounted to encourage hunters to harvest deer. The deer taken in those areas are tested. The DNR has tested 5,202 deer, of which seven have tested positive for CWD. The DNR will continue its monitoring efforts during the 2016 deer season.The decline in oil, gas, and mineral prices has resulted in a projected 28 percent decline in revenue which is utilized to support the 102 state parks. Fortunately, attendance and camping at the state parks has increased resulting in additional revenue to help offset the loss of mineral revenue. Attendance at Belle Isle Park in Detroit continues to climb as visitors return to the now safe and functional park that was leased to the Department in 2014.The DNR played a significant role in the Flint Water issue. The DNR operated the incident command center, assisting the Department of Environmental Quality with water and water filter distribution, mapping, etc. The DNR also provided assistance with press relations, marketing and planning.The Flint Water issue, combined with a need to address the state’s transportation infrastructure, heightened concerns about the state’s aging infrastructure. The Governor has created a 21st Century Infrastructure Commission charged with scoping the state’s infrastructure issues. The DNR is one of eight state agencies contributing to the effort. The DNR plays a role in dams, drains, transportation, water quality, and assuring its own infrastructure is meeting public needs. ................
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