Natural resources: hunting; posting of rules and regulations by a certain date; require. Amends secs. 40113a & 41103 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.40113a & 324.41103).
Senate Bill 67 amends Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to change how the Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Commission publish and distribute hunting, fishing, and trapping rules. The bill requires the commission to issue game-taking orders after a public meeting and public input, and it adds a deadline: if the commission does not issue those orders by August 1, they do not take effect until the following year’s hunting or trapping seasons. It also requires advance distribution of proposed orders to specified legislative committees and appropriations subcommittees at least 30 days before issuance.
The bill also revises notice and publication requirements for department orders and fishing guides. It directs the department to publish annual hunting, fishing, and trapping guides by August 1, to notify the public of rule changes through those guides and newspaper publication, and to continue publishing annual notices about the sports fishing handbook. The bill preserves the department’s authority to issue protective orders for fish and game populations, establish experimental fisheries and game management areas, and regulate seasons, size limits, creel limits, and methods of take for research and management purposes.
The bill would amend sections 40113a and 41103 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, affecting the legal framework for wildlife and fisheries regulation in Michigan. It does not broadly change the department’s or commission’s substantive authority over hunting and fishing, but it tightens procedural requirements for issuing rules, adds a statutory August 1 deadline for commission orders, and expands notice obligations to lawmakers and the public. Affected parties include the Natural Resources Commission, the Department of Natural Resources, hunters, anglers, trappers, commercial guides, and legislative committees overseeing natural resources and appropriations.
The bill appears generally supportive of hunting, fishing, and wildlife management interests, emphasizing scientific management, public access, and the cultural and economic importance of these activities. The text frames the right to hunt, fish, and take game as a protected state interest, and there is no recorded committee testimony or vote history in the provided materials indicating opposition or support beyond the bill’s stated policy goals. Overall, the tone is pro-conservation and pro-sporting use, with an emphasis on administrative transparency and timely rulemaking.
The main potential point of contention is the added August 1 deadline for commission orders, which could be seen as limiting flexibility for wildlife managers if scientific review or public input takes longer than expected. Another possible issue is the requirement to provide advance copies of orders to legislative committees and appropriations subcommittees, which may be viewed by some as increasing legislative oversight over an area traditionally managed by the commission and department. Supporters are likely to favor the bill’s emphasis on predictability, notice, and public participation, while critics may worry about delays or constraints on adaptive wildlife management.