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DNR briefs House Natural Resources and Tourism committee on parks, fisheries, wildlife, staffing and programs
Summary
Deputy DNR Director Shannon Lott told the House Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism that the department manages roughly 103 state parks, saw annual park visits rise to about 36 million after 2020, and runs fisheries and wildlife programs that together contribute billions to Michigan’s economy.
Department of Natural Resources deputy director Shannon Lott and legislative liaison Chris Semerneck gave an overview of the DNR’s operations, highlighting park visitation, fisheries and wildlife programs, public lands, conservation officers and outreach efforts.
Lott told the committee the DNR employs about 1,800 permanent staff and roughly 1,200 seasonal workers and oversees about 103 state parks (nearly 104 with Flint coming on board). She said the department recorded a sustained increase in park visitors after 2020, rising from a pre-2020 high of about 25 million to roughly 36 million annual visits; Belle Isle receives roughly 4.6 million visits per year.
On fisheries, Lott said Michigan’s water resources —…
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