[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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",6522529,"mediaKeyId","5070727-1137d46b90a8c1b91a1e1d75c7cd7af0","parentId",5070727,"title","House committee adopts substitute and refers soft erosion-control bill after debate over local permitting","audioSeconds",532,"startMs",5583000,"endMs",6115000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5070727-1137d46b90a8c1b91a1e1d75c7cd7af0&start=5583&end=6115","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5070727-1137d46b90a8c1b91a1e1d75c7cd7af0/thumbnail_5583000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6522529/Michigan/House-committee-adopts-substitute-and-refers-soft-erosion-control-bill-after-debate-over-local-permitting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522529-a786989734ba1506a82e752dd7114de5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436082&Signature=A7K7M3DZBE6-dSHYoHdo2NWGf-5a4lreAagpVxweVlcTZvQtYsk~E73OV46Kzf2wdhmwfXZ-Z0NukcxQq07~FwKYopwDmVakB3uf7IZ9GSUManerpQAFl2yHyLJGzURg0vUmihX-Zo9UQqlWzBPjMzdjlGPRA9tIMHYrx623CBDtXV-I7PLK8f0j1ne-VnSc4D-pRYH-P7~Bzfv8OC~H~ZbaTxuBzqm86GkhQUWF-28jN5PleeR~asybGS4IJCU6juj1106myeboR1ghWw0SGi0ihnqPikPs8G7VsWsQ3zF5Y5buU0rF2ql8Xaj42C-NSa-DsNy1XECMCESr7iXCqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Michigan Legislature","date","2025-06-25T17:15:48.26Z","article","The Michigan House committee took up House Bill 4385 (H-2 substitute), a bill that would require property owners installing certain soft erosion-control structures to notify local units of government in the same manner they must notify the Department of Natural Resources and to ensure that the structures comply with applicable local ordinances.

Representative Saint Germain moved to adopt the H-2 substitute. The clerk recorded the roll call on that motion and reported that the motion to adopt the substitute carried with 15 yeas and 1 nay. Representative Altman later offered an amendment intended to clarify when a local unit of government subject to a county zoning ordinance is in compliance; Representative Weiss asked whether the amendment would allow local governments to impose limitations stricter than state law.

The committee voted on Altman’s amendment; the clerk recorded 2 yeas, 9 nays and 5 passes and announced the motion did not prevail. After further procedural steps, committee members voted on referring House Bill 4385 as substituted to the Committee on Rules. The clerk announced 10 yeas, 2 nays and 4 pass; the committee chair then stated the bill \"is referred as substituted to the committee on rules.\" (The transcript records the clerk's tally and the committee's subsequent referral statement.)

What the bill does

According to the H-2 substitute read into the record, the bill would:
- Require property owners who install soft erosion-control structures to provide notice to their local unit of government in a manner consistent with current notice requirements to the DNR;
- Make local permitting and compliance an explicit part of the state notice framework;
- Allow local ordinances to require permitting, but the committee record included clarifying discussion that local governments must already have an ordinance in place to assert additional requirements tied to the substitute’s effective date language.

Key questions raised

Members asked about the substitute’s retroactivity language tied to an ordinance effective date of Jan. 1, 2025, and whether local governments could impose limits stricter than the state’s framework. Committee staff said the substitute was intended to accommodate existing county zoning ordinances adopted within the specified timeframe and to permit a municipality to adopt a consistent local ordinance afterward.

Votes and motions recorded (at committee)

- Motion to adopt H-2 substitute (mover: Representative Saint Germain): recorded result — 15 yeas, 1 nay; outcome: adopted.
- Motion to adopt Altman amendment (mover: Representative Altman): recorded result — 2 yeas, 9 nays, 5 passes; outcome: failed.
- Motion to refer House Bill 4385 as substituted to Committee on Rules (mover: Representative Holy): recorded tally announced by clerk — 10 yeas, 2 nays, 4 passes; the committee chair then stated the bill \"is referred as substituted to the committee on rules.\" The transcript includes both the roll-call tally and the chair’s referral statement.

Next steps

The bill was called referred as the H-2 substitute to the Committee on Rules for further consideration. Committee members discussed additional questions and said they planned to circulate follow-up materials to members who were not able to ask questions before the meeting’s time limit.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Natural Resources and Tourism Joint Meeting w/ Appropriations & Oversight Subcommittees - 6/25/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lawmakers considered House Bill 4385 (H-2 substitute), which would align local notification and permitting for soft erosion-control structures with existing state notices to the DNR. The committee adopted an H-2 substitute, defeated an amendment, and the bill was ultimately referred as substituted to the committee on rules.","taxTitle","2025 House Legislature MI, Michigan","taxId",77683,"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},6522534,"Commercial fishermen warn Michigan lawmakers industry is shrinking amid regulations and stocking policies",3172,6088000,9260000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5070727-1137d46b90a8c1b91a1e1d75c7cd7af0&start=6088&end=9260","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5070727-1137d46b90a8c1b91a1e1d75c7cd7af0/thumbnail_6088000.jpg","/articles/6522534/Michigan/Commercial-fishermen-warn-Michigan-lawmakers-industry-is-shrinking-amid-regulations-and-stocking-policies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522534-1123a49f4e0300ae911a6b1805ba007e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436082&Signature=CkQYjrRFyX8nbvEu1G6BbqK7UI95lyByof1KO7giLng2E6Zpj8y3dnazMIBRvVxKCY4H3ePLtWaDOgC1GlvAc5z4q1F7nQGSA~hwemW5xAOiwjJXLWvpoSkFOED0AfFrjtZeGQJWS7eXnBadEfOj9Is95UWBqgbGU~0TFq4ev4FukPLwVCJg1EeCSS5hwYy8VX0CtTnSXInzN7LCn5VvIaNe~ZDbJ7gk8XNdPXHdbY4sxkRDKs4hoHE-~8KAfVcIUu1-HbWGJZurpEUAJUTb7Kkrw50xpd247Eq8VPrunQGrg6Z7ldJa8IrRRi2Gq0Ugl2zvWbT15fYsAHY8U0yT6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michigan commercial fishermen, processors and the Michigan Fish Producers Association told a House committee that long-standing administrative rules, recent quota changes and state stocking policies have pressured the commercial-fishing sector to the point that only a small number of full-time operators remain.

Scott Everett, a legislative consultant for the Michigan Fish Producers Association, told the committee that “In Michigan, there are 50 licenses, commercial fishing licenses owned by 13 businesses. And there are only 3 full time state licensed commercial fishermen left in this state.” He said commercial harvest in recent years has been concentrated in whitefish while perch and other species have declined in key areas.

Producers said multiple factors have reduced commercial output: 1960s-era emergency rules and later administrative rules governing which species may be commercially harvested, aggressive planting of lake trout and salmon in the Great Lakes, and quota management practices they described as opaque. Several speakers said those rules prevent commercial operators from taking species — notably walleye in some waters — that would help rebalance predator/prey relationships and stabilize fisheries.

Skyler Rulo of Rulo Brothers described a recent quota and license transaction he said reduced his company’s share of local quota and included a DNR purchase of a license for $2.9 million. Rulo told lawmakers the sequence of quota transfers and buyouts reduced Rulo Brothers’ share in a management zone from roughly 99% to 68% in a short period and characterized the outcomes as unfair and harmful to a long-standing family business.

Processors and wholesalers said reporting requirements impose heavy administrative burdens. Dustin Van Orman of Big Stone Bay Fishery and Mike Berta of Carlson’s Fish Market said differences in required reporting schedules (tribal reporting twice monthly versus state processors’ reporting deadlines) and lack of grace periods make compliance difficult for small processors, particularly given seasonal surges during the summer tourist season.

Producers asked for several changes: modernize or repeal parts of 1960s emergency rules that still govern commercial harvest, align state reporting and quota rules with tribal and federal agreements where appropriate, and create clearer, predictable quota procedures so small businesses can plan investment and staffing.

Context and history cited by witnesses

Witnesses traced the decline to several historical developments: the sea-lamprey collapse mid-20th century and the emergency orders issued to rehabilitate lake trout and other species; the legislature’s 1959 Act 154 authority allowing the Commission to modify statutory harvest provisions in emergencies; and subsequent administrative rules converted from emergency orders in the 1970s that restrict species and methods available to state-licensed commercial fishermen.

Speakers said a recent federal–tribal decree (completed in 2023) sets fishing allocations in tribal waters, while state rules governing state-licensed commercial fishers have not been updated to reflect current conditions and commercial interests.

What lawmakers said

Representative Jason Morgan, who testified about his family’s commercial-fishing background, urged colleagues to treat the industry as an important, though diminished, part of Michigan’s coastal and rural economy and to consider bipartisan statutory fixes.

Ending

Committee members thanked the witnesses and said they would take the testimony into account as they consider possible statutory or administrative changes. Producers asked for urgent action to keep small fish-processing businesses viable and to preserve family-run fisheries.","Commercial fishing representatives and processors told a House committee that Michigan’s commercial fishery has shrunk to a small number of operators, blamed outdated DNR rules, lake-trout planting and onerous reporting for the decline, and asked legislators to update management rules so commercial and tribal fisheries can coexist.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6522538,"Michigan lawmakers hear complaints of DNR 'overreach' from pig ranchers and hunters",4180,250000,4430000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5070727-1137d46b90a8c1b91a1e1d75c7cd7af0&start=250&end=4430","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5070727-1137d46b90a8c1b91a1e1d75c7cd7af0/thumbnail_250000.jpg","/articles/6522538/Michigan/Michigan-lawmakers-hear-complaints-of-DNR-overreach-from-pig-ranchers-and-hunters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522538-f640caeb6ed37f556ef8aa80e181c001/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436082&Signature=UJ8j1zRcp7~60PTl4HIqqPUleEU8FFUW88TSKSyzoUJ2TkOnBcm6JKnb9SaX08DQt~dEQIl8cPAhatbpoTEbyt73fOKu6TbWqcSowcQyza3Cic4vNJj5~7HNnsxKvfM1zB4s2vqKoIIAwxNvUiyCsScmDxfHl06ckpUJ3IWZhZ8Bq8F66GzhKk7QjhLAIMilTCCjAuuHkL-owkG~6BkVjB-YpEwz7Hn12ghTgM7uU7IBcB~tnamI831vnBt9kev--2z~e3Y0W1~4Q1lvp45JzjuKSO7C4qbriPDFW8KhXqWokzz4Kg5U4mq4OdSn5zz1WKHCG9Kvajh31SpIhizBLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of Michigan House committees held an oversight-style hearing that drew testimony from hunters, livestock owners and residents who say the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has overreached its authority in enforcement of game and trespass laws.

The hearing included testimony from musician and longtime hunter Ted Nugent and several Upper Peninsula farm operators who described multi-year court fights with the DNR over classification of hogs, undercover DNR operations to document alleged illegal hunts, and disputes over when officers may enter private property. Witnesses asked legislators to clarify state rules on baiting, chronic wasting disease guidance and the DNR’s use of undercover operations.

Lawmakers said the hearing’s purpose was to examine DNR accountability and to gather examples of what members called burdensome or inconsistent enforcement. Representative Ken Barton introduced the panel, saying resident complaints about perceived DNR overreach are frequent and that the committee sought specific examples to guide policy changes.

Testimony and key claims

Joseph O’Leary, prosecutor for Baraga County, described an outbreak of escaped pigs introduced by a hunting facility in 2002 and his office’s difficulties getting state agencies to help control the animals. O’Leary said the DNR and the Department of Agriculture shifted responsibility between them, prompting local appeals to the governor and media to spur action.

Roger Ternan and Greg Johnson (owner of Bear Mountain Lodge) described long-running litigation with the DNR about whether pigs at their operations were \"feral/wild\" or domestic livestock. Johnson said his litigation has lasted more than a decade and that courts have sometimes struck down DNR regulations as beyond the agency’s authority. He described DNR orders and declaratory rulings that, in his view, used imprecise characteristics (ear shape, tail type) to declare animals illegal.

Cody, identified as representing Superior Wildlife Adventures, described an undercover DNR hunt at his facility in 2021 in which officers used false names, paid by money order and signed liability waivers under assumed names before shooting a pig. Cody said DNA tests were taken and stored but that he learned about the tests only years later when litigation began.

Ted Nugent, introduced as an avid Michigan outdoorsman, provided extended testimony criticizing the DNR and the Natural Resources Commission (NRC). He called some DNR rules \"insane,\" said officers had issued tickets for minor matters such as salt blocks, and urged lawmakers to restore what he called \"science-based\" hunting rules and to expand hunting opportunities to reduce deer overpopulation.

Property and trespass concerns

Representative Mueller recounted a personal encounter in which a conservation officer was on his farm and he asked the officer to leave, arguing for property-rights protections and for greater officer discretion before entering gated private property. Multiple speakers asked legislators to clarify how the open-fields doctrine and trespass rules apply to conservation officers, and several witnesses described fear of reprisal that they said had discouraged other residents from testifying.

What witnesses want

Speakers asked legislators to:
- Clarify when conservation officers may enter private land and whether court judgments barring officer entry are being respected;
- Investigate the DNR’s use of undercover operations and whether officers used false names and falsified documents to book hunts;
- Review DNR declaratory rulings and invasive-species guidance that govern classification of swine;
- Reexamine enforcement priorities (baiting, salt blocks, chronic wasting disease restrictions) and the training officers receive on discretion and property rights.

Committee next steps and context

Committee members said they had sent document requests to the DNR, including requests for the authorization and funding behind undercover operations, and that they planned follow-up oversight work. Several lawmakers framed the hearing as part of broader scrutiny of executive-branch agencies.

Ending

Speakers on both sides said they wanted clearer rules. Several witnesses urged lawmakers to produce statutory or rule changes that would remove ambiguous or allegedly inconsistent DNR authority and restore predictability for hunters, ranchers and landowners.","At a Michigan House committee hearing, hunters, pig ranchers and property owners described aggressive enforcement and undercover operations by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), citing multiple court cases, an undercover hunt at a private ranch and disputes over trespass and baiting enforcement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House committee adopts substitute and refers soft erosion-control bill after debate over local permitting

Commercial fishermen warn Michigan lawmakers industry is shrinking amid regulations and stocking policies

Michigan lawmakers hear complaints of DNR 'overreach' from pig ranchers and hunters