HB-5553, As Passed House, March 10, 2004

HOUSE BILL No. 5553

(As amended March 10, 2004)

February 17, 2004, Introduced by Reps. Brown, Pastor, Sheen, Walker, Stahl, Pappageorge, Shackleton, Amos, Nofs, Meyer, Huizenga, Nitz, Palsrok, Palmer, Emmons, LaJoy, Voorhees, Robertson, Moolenaar, Ward, Bisbee, Farhat, Mortimer, Hummel, Caswell, Shaffer, DeRoche, Julian, Taub, Richardville, Vander Veen, Brandenburg, Acciavatti, Bradstreet, Hune and Adamini and referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Resource Management.

                                                                             A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

(MCL 324.101 to 324.90106) by adding section 52511.                         

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1   Sec. 52511.  (1) Not later than December 31, [2006,] the                    

2   department shall establish 4 forest pilot project areas.  The               

3   department shall establish forest pilot project areas on                    

4   scientific silvicultural specifications such as residual basal              

5   areas and diameter class specifications.  Forest pilot project              

6   areas shall meet all of the following requirements:                         

7       (a) Each forest pilot project area shall include between 200                

8   and 640 acres.                                                              

9   (b) Two of the forest pilot project areas shall be located in               

10  the Lower Peninsula and two shall be located in the Upper                   

11  Peninsula.                                                                  

1       (c) At least 1 forest pilot project area shall be composed                  

2   primarily of hardwoods.                                                     

3       (d) At least 1 forest pilot project area shall be composed                  

4   primarily of softwoods.                                                     

5       (2) Upon establishing the 4 forest pilot project areas under                

6   subsection (1), the department shall solicit contract bids for              

7   the management of each forest pilot project area.  The department           

8   shall enter into a 3-year contract for each forest pilot project            

9   area covering all of the following forest management activities:            

10      (a) Marking of timber.                                                      

11      (b) Harvesting of timber.                                                   

12      (c) Reforesting of timber cutover areas.

13      Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take                      

14  effect unless all of the following bills of the 92nd Legislature            

15  are enacted into law:                                                       

16      (a) Senate Bill No. ________ or House Bill No. 5554                         

17  (request no. 03780'03 *).                                                   

18      (b) Senate Bill No. ________ or House Bill No. 5552                         

19  (request no. 04037'03 *).