REGISTERED & QUALIFIED FORESTERS                                 H.B. 4379 (S-3) & 4380 (S-2):

                                                                                                      FLOOR SUMMARY

House Bill 4379 (Substitute S-3 as reported)

House Bill 4380 (Substitute S-2 as reported)

Sponsor:  Representative Hugh Crawford

House Committee:  Regulatory Reform

Senate Committee:  Regulatory Reform

CONTENT

House Bill 4379 (S-3) would amend Parts 507 (Forest Management Demonstration Program) and 511 (Commercial Forests) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) to delete references to registered foresters and transfer their responsibilities to qualified foresters, as follows:

-- Two members of a county forestry committee would have to be qualified foresters, rather than foresters registered under Article 21 of the Occupational Code.

-- A forest management plan, submitted by a county forestry committee to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), would have to be prepared by a qualified forester, rather than a forester registered under Article 21.

-- "Forest management plan" would mean a written plan prepared and signed by a qualified forester (rather than a registered forester), or by a natural resources professional, that prescribes measures to optimize production, utilization, and regeneration of forest resources.

The bill provides that "qualified forester" would mean that term as defined in Section 7jj of the General Property Tax Act.

House Bill 4380 (S-2) would amend the definition of "qualified forester" in Section 7jj of the General Property Tax Act.

Under Section 7jj, except as otherwise provided, qualified forest property is exempt from school operating taxes levied by a local school district, subject to a statewide limit on the amount of property that is eligible for the exemption.  To claim an exemption, a property owner must obtain a forest management plan from a qualified forester and submit it to the DNR.

A "qualified forester" is a person who is registered with the DNR under NREPA and meets one or more of the criteria specified in Section 7jj, which include being a registered forester.  "Registered forester" means a person registered under Article 21 of the Occupational Code.  The bill would delete the definition of "registered forester" and the reference to a registered forester in the qualified forester definition.

House Bill 4379 (S-3) is tie-barred to House Bill 4380 and Senate Bill 481, which would repeal Article 21 (Foresters) of the Occupational Code.  House Bill 4380 (S-2) is tie-barred to Senate Bill 481 or House Bill 4381,  which also would repeal Article 21.

MCL 324.50703 (H.B. 4379)                                       Legislative Analyst:  Patrick Affholter

       211.7jj[1] (H.B. 4380)

FISCAL IMPACT

The bills would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

Date Completed:  10-15-13                                                    Fiscal Analyst:  Josh Sefton

This 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.