MODIFYING ICE SHANTY REGULATIONS

House Bill 4787 as introduced

Sponsor:  Rep. Curtis S. VanderWall

Committee:  Natural Resources

Complete to 10-9-17

SUMMARY:

House Bill 4787 would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) to expand the options of identifying information that an owner of a fishing shanty must affix to the structure, and to give the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) discretion to decide when a fishing shanty must be removed from the ice.

A fishing shanty means a fishing house or any other structure or shelter placed on the ice on the waters over which this state has jurisdiction.

Identifying Information

Article III, Chapter 2, Subchapter 3, Part 465 of NREPA regulates fishing shanties. Section 46502 currently requires an owner to visibly affix their name and address, in waterproof legible letters not less than 2 inches in height, to the shanty for identifying purposes. The bill would expand the identifying information from which an owner of a fishing shanty can choose to include any one of the following:

·         The owner's name and address.

·         The owner's driver license number.

·         The number of the owner's sportcard issued under Section 43522.

DNR Jurisdiction over Fishing Shanty Removal

Currently, Sections 46503 through 46507 require that fishing shanties be removed from the ice before ice conditions are unsafe for their removal but no later than certain dates for various parts of the state as follows:

·       In any county in the Upper Peninsula (UP), or waters of the Great Lakes adjacent to the UP, by 12 midnight, March 31.

·       In any county in the Northern Lower Peninsula including and North of the following counties: Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Isabella, Midland, Bay, or waters of the Great Lakes adjacent to any of those counties, by 12 midnight, March 15.

·       In any county not listed above and adjacent waters of the Great Lakes by 12 midnight, March 1.

·       On Lake St. Clair by sundown on the first Sunday after February 20.

The bill would repeal the individual deadlines and allow the DNR to set the date by which fishing shanties must be removed on any water within the jurisdiction of the state.

MCL 324.46502 et al.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would have no fiscal impact on the Department of Natural Resources nor local units of government.

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   Emily S. Smith

                                                                                                Fiscal Analyst:   Austin Scott

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.