[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6101528,"mediaKeyId","2807716-db7c680fc1135a06154abfe8f09c37e9","parentId",2807716,"title","DNR law enforcement briefs appropriations panel: personnel and equipment top budget priorities","audioSeconds",1279,"startMs",3197000,"endMs",4476000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807716-db7c680fc1135a06154abfe8f09c37e9&start=3197&end=4476","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807716-db7c680fc1135a06154abfe8f09c37e9/thumbnail_3197000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6101528/Michigan/DNR-law-enforcement-briefs-appropriations-panel-personnel-and-equipment-top-budget-priorities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101528-a8d21de98df2a76a748bddfe5fd76556/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160278&Signature=GXQHDIpe6Q2AQYsu-s3uMS2bw5bxPFi-kcGam4U8jaPV36WDb1ZEz~M4Dh3~C4qr01oiz9nFUKjYG2Snf3V41SC-kzGyRHysT4MbxeobK4J8b-hrtaWkWLeOz7nsqWxU-HfnblQKzIkCoC~PB2lAf3j9jtfzGjkOQvtGJeaLP0NlqHe3vs0tG5MBq80I3xHMLeezRGJF~oszhTAMtZdG03lDBY8M8BZXNSLKuXKpyGcwO8H-fPtwWRsLYlGYPr60zeLsDqPggQ-MnY7Yjh1hb~23EOGrw7UTOa7uyjUEPl7wBTlJmJUSJAJyZFkiAMo2LP3sETjKkGEZCLP~Uuhiiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Appropriations - Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural Resources ","date","2025-03-12T00:00:00Z","article","Chief Jason Haines, chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources law enforcement division, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee that personnel and equipment — not land or capital projects — drive the division’s budget and that the division faces fleet and technology cost pressures.

Haines told the committee that law enforcement comprises about 10% of the overall DNR appropriation, with a division budget of roughly $54.9 million. He said payroll represents about 74% of the division budget; fleet costs account for about 10%; unit (district) operating budgets about 7%; and IT and equipment account for the remainder. Haines said 39% of the division’s funding comes from game and fish revenues, 36% from the state general fund and about 13% from federal grants, including U.S. Coast Guard support for marine safety.

The division reported 236 sworn conservation officers on staff, with an academy class of 16 recruits due to graduate in July that would bring the count near 252 before accounting for expected retirements. Haines said officers logged roughly 453,000 public contacts in 2024; fewer than 2% of those contacts resulted in enforcement action (citation or arrest). He described a district structure of nine field districts grouped into two regions, staffing patterns (typical county staffing of two officers, with sergeants and lieutenants at district level) and specialized units such as the Great Lakes Enforcement Unit and a special investigations unit.

Haines highlighted non‑enforcement roles: training and volunteer instruction (about 1,600 volunteer safety instructors and more than 46,000 safety certifications in 2024), search and rescue, and emergency response in rural areas. He said conservation officers receive calls for life‑saving situations; 15 life‑saving awards were presented in 2024.

Committee members asked about recruitment, pay and equipment. Haines said a recent $3.5 million budget investment helped recruiting: civil service received about 900 applications for the latest posting and the academy currently has 16 recruits. On retention, he said the department expects continued retirements but that pay and recruitment investments increased applicant volume.

On body‑worn cameras, Haines said the rollout began in the fall, paused during heavy‑use months, and that just two Upper Peninsula districts have not yet received cameras; those districts were scheduled for early April. He said all cameras were purchased and that the appropriation also funded five full‑time equivalent staff to manage redaction and FOIA processing, plus two technicians to maintain the camera fleet.

Haines described budget pressure points: rising vehicle purchase costs (example: patrol vehicle unit cost rose from $32,000 in 2014 to $52,000 in 2023), fluctuating fuel and maintenance, and growing IT and replacement needs for boats, ORVs and snowmobiles. He told members that if deep cuts were required the department would defer equipment replacement before reducing officer ranks but acknowledged that deferring replacements increases long‑term costs and operational risk.

Ending: Haines said the division will continue recruiting and managing equipment lifecycles while partnering with federal, tribal and local agencies on enforcement, marine safety and emergency responses.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations - Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural Resources Wednesday, March 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Chief Jason Haines told the subcommittee that the law enforcement division’s primary costs are payroll and equipment, outlined staffing levels and said body‑worn cameras rollout is nearly complete.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural Resources, Appropriations, House of Representative, Committees\t\t\t\t\t, Legislative, Michigan","taxId",30757,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6101534,"DNR: State parks rely on user fees, face large infrastructure backlog despite recent ARPA and private support",1602,408000,2010000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807716-db7c680fc1135a06154abfe8f09c37e9&start=408&end=2010","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807716-db7c680fc1135a06154abfe8f09c37e9/thumbnail_408000.jpg","/articles/6101534/Michigan/DNR-State-parks-rely-on-user-fees-face-large-infrastructure-backlog-despite-recent-ARPA-and-private-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101534-d7762dcb6123c8730bd0397c741251b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160278&Signature=U178QUz833mQKU~j21dG0BJWpEK9xg-8Fs1Azmw9bBFaWAu8vD~tuJqoaAFTyVowi7GeCaP8Q6u1BMosPM7JBf1LFoG8M578b78BOkRETnULdkNFw1G5EohhV1isFNJhSl8nF9wcFKapxiWbuOLbUY20SZYL5SnawC96LWHWvJj7~SR~85QiIxC8hEje1ZzoEuSFAjvJITgty~XozKvbRp4XPMGextAScZrs9g4KBgyO3dXR54zVWoKY7fTIyqJIp5tpejxaS9yEAAK2M9cwjw7UoK70sCLiP1mjFRey~sLKDBHg122IUPm-fbd1DYnaiHY5Ujaiu88tKeNRN68dgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Ron Olson, chief of parks and recreation for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Natural Resources that state parks rely heavily on user fees and face an infrastructure backlog that the department is addressing with American Rescue Plan Act funds, grants and private donations.

Olson said the department’s “user‑pay” funding model means about 80% of State Park funding comes from the Park Improvement Fund (camping and recreational passport sales), with a park endowment and a small share of the general fund covering the rest. He told the committee the recreational passport is now $14 after a CPI escalator and that the system recorded 38 million state park visitors in 2023, a 43% increase since 2019.

The nut of Olson’s presentation was that while visitation and local economic impacts are large — he cited $53 billion in tourism dollars and $11 billion in boating industry activity in his overview — the park system carries an unmet capital need that includes water and sewer replacements, electrical upgrades and campground renovations. “We’re in the lifelong memory business,” Olson said, adding that maintaining parks supports tourism, local economies and public health.

Olson described funding sources and examples: the Park Improvement Fund and park endowment (partly funded by oil and gas royalties), concessions revenue and modest general fund support. He said ARPA provided roughly $273 million for park rehabilitation projects, the administration proposed $250 million more for system rehabilitation, and the department has used other targeted grants (for example, $3.5 million from the Kresge Foundation for accessibility pilots). He cited specific projects in Genesee County, Belle Isle and other parks, and described work on sewer and electrical systems, accessible kayak launches and restoration of historic structures.

Committee members asked for timelines and local detail. On the Flint/Genesee County project, Olson said the department leased five city parks for 30 years and built an endowment with a $14 million Mott Foundation contribution matched by $23 million from the state and placed with the Flint Community Foundation to generate perpetual revenue for the park. He said river work removing five spillways and two dams was completed as part of phase one, a $15 million investment, and upland improvements bidding was under way with an anticipated upland phase to begin in late spring and parts to be finished by fall.

Olson discussed visitation trends, stewardship and volunteers: the department reported about 1.3 million camp nights (a recent peak of 1.4 million in 2021), 83 harbors of refuge (19 managed by the state), roughly 1,300 boating access sites (the department administers about 1,100), and 13,700 miles of designated trails. He described partnerships with private operators for unique lodging (Explore US investment), with Rivian for charging infrastructure, with the National Guard for heavy equipment labor, and with foundations and local groups for endowments and volunteer stewardship.

Olson also outlined ecological work funded by grants and operations — prairie burns, oak wilt treatment, and hemlock woolly adelgid control — and provided examples of degraded infrastructure such as corroded water pipes and overloaded electrical panels. He said the parks system must spend ARPA allocations by the end of 2026 and described the work as a rolling schedule of projects to minimize access loss while renovating campgrounds and facilities.

Ending: Olson concluded by repeating the value proposition of affordable access: he compared Michigan’s $14 passport to higher fees in other states and urged continued investment to protect parks and the economic benefits they provide.

","DNR officials told the House Appropriations Subcommittee that Michigan state parks are largely funded by user fees and face a multi‑year infrastructure backlog that the department is tackling with ARPA, grants and public‑private partnerships.","actionData","errors"]

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DNR law enforcement briefs appropriations panel: personnel and equipment top budget priorities

DNR: State parks rely on user fees, face large infrastructure backlog despite recent ARPA and private support