Subcommittee hears DNR budget overview; restricted funds, state parks and recreation passport emphasized

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Natural Resources heard a presentation from Austin Scott, fiscal analyst with the House Fiscal Agency, on the current-year budget for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Scott told members the department’s gross budget for the current year is about $534,000,000 and emphasized that a large majority of that funding comes from restricted funds rather than the state’s general fund.

"Two thirds of DNR's budget is restricted funds," Scott said, explaining the department currently manages roughly 40 restricted funds that are statutorily or constitutionally designated for specific uses. He contrasted DNR’s fund mix with MDARD’s, saying DNR relies much more heavily on restricted accounts while agriculture has a larger share of general fund support.

Scott walked members through major program areas. Parks and recreation (state parks and recreation areas) and the core resource divisions — wildlife, fisheries and forest resources — together make up more than half of the department’s funding in the current-year bill, he said. The presentation identified 103 state park facilities (noting…