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CRISIS: MI DNR |
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Educated Angler
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DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FUNDING CRISIS
General Fund reductions and depletion of several of our major restricted funds (Game and Fish Protection Fund, Forest Development Fund and Park Improvement Fund) will require additional and more severe budgetary measures than have been implemented to date.
Since Fiscal Year 2005, DNR has reduced its programs by more than $20 million. These reductions were much more extensive than the list below, but to give you a few highlights, the cutbacks included:
- significant reduction of conservation officers with more than 50
vacant conservation officer positions, resulting in reduced effort in
public safety and protecting natural resources, delays in responding to
complaints, and little or no officer presence in certain areas of the
state
- a 60 percent decrease in production and planting of hatchery Coho
for Lake Michigan, resulting in a negative impact on sportfishing and
the charter boat industry
- fewer wildlife population surveys and reduced bovine TB and CWD
monitoring, compromising the Department’s ability to manage wildlife
populations and monitor for diseases, which increases the risk for a
disease to become established and endanger wildlife populations
- fewer fire officers and reduction in fire equipment replacement, jeopardizing wildfire protection
- a decrease in timber marking as a result of not filling vacant
positions and decreased disease monitoring compromising the health of
our forests
- decreased staffing and maintenance of facilities in our state
parks and recreation areas and eliminating all non-emergency trail
repairs
Without the prospect of license fee adjustments to offset structural
deficits in the Game and Fish Protection Fund projected at $2.5 million
in Fiscal Year 2008 and $13 million in fiscal year 2009, or finding
resolution to address additional deficits in the Forest Development and
Park Improvement Funds, drastic reductions to programs and staff will
occur. Listed below are the additional program cuts, by fund, that
will be implemented beginning November 1, 2007.
General Fund
Reduction of $1.05 million
Reduction of 12 staff
The Department will implement the following reductions:
- Closure of state forest campgrounds, pathways, cross country ski
trails. This reduction will increase the number of closed state forest
campgrounds from 20 to 22 and elimination of all pathways. These
closures will result in a significant decrease in recreational
opportunities which will impact local economies that depend on the
tourism generated through these activities.
- Reduce disease surveillance for bovine tuberculosis. This
reduction would result in the loss of the TB accreditation level
currently awarded the state. This will have a significant impact on
the cattle industry. Monitoring for chronic wasting disease, avian
influenza, West Nile, etc. will be greatly reduced increasing the
health risks for wildlife and humans.
- Elimination of general conservation law enforcement by
conservation officers. Conservation officers will not be allowed to
address general conservation law violations which will degrade public
lands such as game areas, state forests, state parks, etc.
Game and Fish Protection Fund
Reduction of $6.2 million
Reduction of 58 staff
- Close 2 fish hatcheries Loss of 1.2 M coho, 1.9 M Chinook salmon,
845,000 brown trout, and 485,000 rainbow trout. The economic
impact of these reductions will be monumental as fishing boosts the
state’s economy by $2 billion annually.
- Eliminate remaining fish surveys (creel clerks) Angler harvest
data will not be collected and is therefore not available to use to
assist in the management of the state’s fisheries resources. This will
also eliminate the ability to evaluate ports across the state for
compliance with the 2000 Tribal Consent Decree.
- Close research station Eliminate the ability to evaluate and make
management recommendations on inland coldwater fisheries including
trout rivers streams and lakes negatively affecting fishing
opportunities.
- Eliminate university research and reduce fish health activities Opportunities will be lost to respond to current disease issues.
- Eliminate use of Great Lakes research vessels Twenty five years
of continuous data collection on harvest mortality and fish health
would end compromising our ability to adjust harvest regulations and
hatchery stocking programs.
- Reduce conservation officers This will result in increased
illegal activity such as poaching, increased accidents and injuries due
to violations of hunter safety regulations and reckless operations of
ORV, boats, snowmobiles, etc. Remaining conservation officers will be
at greater risk due to the lack of backup, increased response time,
etc.
- Reduction in emergency dispatch for conservation law violations Emergency dispatch will not be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Closure of managed waterfowl areas Loss of over 28,300 acres of
hunting areas. This equates to 300 days of lost hunting opportunity.
Hunting alone annually brings in $1.3 billion to Michigan’s economy.
- Translocation of nuisance animals Nuisance bear and geese will no
longer be moved. Over 6,000 geese have been removed in Southeast
Michigan resulting in greater wildlife-human conflict and disease
concerns.
- Office closures and elimination of presence in field offices
Forest Development Fund
Reduction of $1 million
Reduction of 9 staff
Additional reductions are necessary if $1 million is transferred to the
Michigan Department of Agriculture for conservation districts. As
these reductions are implemented and affect future revenue, the need
for further reductions will compound. Fiscal Year 2008 reductions will
be as follows:
• Reduction in timber marking, regeneration, planning
This will negatively impact the amount of timber that is marked,
regenerations efforts, oil and gas reviews, use permits and leases,
recreation, planning, forest certification and fire response, which
will negatively affect tourism and a $13 billion timber industry in the
state.
• Elimination of natural features inventory reviews
Loss of forest certification will likely negatively impact the state’s ability to sell timber reducing state revenues.
Park Improvement Fund
Reduction of 253 staff
Infrastructure conditions continue to deteriorate. To address the
structural deficit in the Park Improvement Fund, the Department will
cease taking reservations in April 2008 for at least 37 state parks,
which will close during Fiscal Year 2009. Reductions will be
implemented in Fiscal Year 2009 as follows:
• Closure of at least 37 state parks and recreation areas and scenic sites
This reduction will affect millions of visitors annually, eliminating
many opportunities for our customers to experience the outdoors through
either day use or overnight stays. These closures will also negatively
affect local communities who depend on the economic stimulus provided
by the state parks. Visitors to our state parks contribute more than
$580 million annually to Michigan.
• Closure of 8 interpretative centers
Closure of the interpretative centers will result in the loss of a
critical educational opportunity to inform the public about
conservation practices, stewardship, and natural resources management.
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