MOOSE HUNTING S.B. 1013 (S-1):
FLOOR SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 1013 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Jason E. Allen
Committee: Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Recreation
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to do the following:
-- Require the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to issue orders establishing an annual moose hunting season within one year after the bill took effect.
-- Prohibit a resident from hunting moose without a moose hunting license.
-- Establish a $100 fee for a moose hunting license, and authorize the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) to establish a $4 application fee.
-- Authorize the DNRE to issue a kill tag with, or as part of, a moose license.
-- Create the Moose Hunting Advisory Council within the DNRE.
Within 12 months after the bill took effect, the Council would have to submit to the DNRE, the NRC, and the Legislature a report that made recommendations on whether the moose hunting season established under the bill should be expanded in Michigan. The report would have to take into account the effect an expanded moose hunting season would have on the State's moose population and the potential economic benefits of such a season. If the Council recommended an expanded season, the report also would have to contain a recommended season length and the number of moose to be taken.
The provisions regarding the Advisory Council would be repealed 12 months after the bill took effect.
Proposed MCL 324.40110a et al. Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The Moose Hunting Advisory Council would serve uncompensated but necessary costs incurred by Council members could be reimbursed. Costs would likely include items such as mileage and hotel stays for members traveling long distances to meetings. These costs would not be very significant and would not be ongoing since the bill would abolish the Council after 12 months.
If the Natural Resources Commission decided to expand the hunt, there likely would be various costs associated. The DNRE currently monitors the moose herd in Michigan, however, so it is likely that the costs would limited to those directly related to the license application and issuance process and would be more than covered by the $100 license fee and the $4 application fee that the Department could levy. It is unknown how many applications the DNRE would receive, but in 2009 nearly 40,000 people paid the $4 fee to apply for the black bear hunt. Funds received by the Department for hunting licenses and for license applications go into the Game and Fish Protection Fund.
Date Completed: 2-22-10 Fiscal Analyst: Josh Sefton
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. sb1013/0910