Another attack on the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has been launched.

As we noted earlier, Michigan’s road builders are looking to divert money from the Trust Fund to fill their gaps in transportation funding. Fortunately it would require changing our state constitution to do so. Given the backlash this incurred, there seems to be some backing away from this suggestion.

Now State Representative Sheltrown (D-Roscommon) is recommending two-thirds of the Trust Fund’s annual grants be diverted to subsidize hunting and fishing instead of buying park land and building trails.

“Despite the importance hunting and fishing has in Michigan and its impact on the state’s economy, Michigan is near the bottom nationally in support of its conservation programs,” Mr. Sheltrown said. “An increase in state general fund revenue is unrealistic given the state’s continued budget deficits. Imposing new fees or increasing existing fees above the rate of inflation to make up shortfalls is counterproductive to the long-term viability of hunting and fishing programs. There has to be a different solution.”

There is a different solution. Raise the hunting and fishing license fees. The Trust Fund was not created to solve structural deficits in DNR operations.

What can you do? If and when Sheltrown introduces a bill we must be prepared to strongly advocate against it. We’ll stay on top of this.

It’s also worth mentioning that Sheltrown is the same legislator that introduced a bill that would have opened up all DNR trails to ATVs if the rider was 60 and over or disabled.

A PERSON NOT LESS THAN 60 YEARS OF AGE OR A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY MAY OPERATE AN ATV ON A NONDESIGNATED TRAIL, ROUTE, OR?AREA FOR PLEASURE OR HUNTING OR TO ACCESS A DESIGNATED TRAIL, ROUTE, OR AREA. AS USED IN THIS SUBSECTION, “PERSON WITH A DISABILITY” MEANS THAT TERM AS DEFINED IN SECTION 103 OF THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, 1976 PA 220, MCL 37.1103.

Imagine all the singletrack at our state parks and recreational areas being opened to ATVs! This would have severely decimated many popular trails, but especially those like Island Lake that have sandier soils.

Fortunately that bill died in the last legislative session. It would not be a surprise to see it introduced a third time in his final term.

Tags: Joel Sheltrown, Natural Resources Trust Fund, Trails

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 5th, 2009 at 8:50 pm and is filed under Funding, Trails. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.