CORMORANT CONTROL & MGMT. H.B. 4614 (S-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS
House Bill 4614 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Representative Joel Sheltrown
House Committee: Tourism, Outdoor Recreation, and Natural Resources
Senate Committee: Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 401 (Wildlife Conservation) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to create the "Cormorant Control Fund" within the State Treasury.
The State Treasurer could receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into the Fund. The State Treasurer would have to direct the investment of the Fund and credit to it any interest and earnings. Money in the Fund at the close of the fiscal year would remain in the Fund and would not lapse to the General Fund. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would be the Fund administrator for auditing purposes.
The DNR could spend Fund money, upon appropriation, only to implement Section 40107c (which Senate Bill 354 (H-1) would add). That section would require the DNR to: administer a cormorant control and management program in a manner that complied with the cormorant depredation order (which House Bill 4471 (H-1) would define); seek funding from the Great Lakes Protection Fund for deposit in the Cormorant Control Fund; and participate in a federally recognized organization of states to urge the Federal government to expand state options for double-crested cormorant control by revising the depredation order, and seek to amend the migratory bird convention with Mexico to designate the double-crested cormorant as a game species.
The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bill 354 and House Bill 4471.
Proposed MCL 40107d Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government. However, the bill is tie-barred to Senate Bill 354, which would require the Department of Natural Resources to administer a program to control and manage double-crested cormorants. Senate Bill 354 (H-1) would direct the DNR to seek funding from the Great Lakes Protection Fund for deposit into the Cormorant Control Fund proposed by House Bill 4614 (H-1), but a specific amount is not identified. Michigan's Great Lakes Protection Fund is appropriated in the Department of Environmental Quality budget primarily to support the Office of the Great Lakes and for research grants. A distribution from the Great Lakes Protection Fund to the Cormorant Control Fund would reduce the funds available for current uses of the Great Lakes Protection Fund.
Date Completed: 6-29-07 Fiscal Analyst: Jessica Runnels
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb4614/0708