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Committee hears broad support and questions for bill to dedicate license revenue to Michigan fisheries
Summary
The House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee heard testimony on House Bill 5093, which would direct fishing license revenue to fisheries programs, add a $3 license increase and a $5 hatchery stamp, and create a fisheries oversight committee. Witnesses and DNR officials supported the intent but pressed for guardrails on fund allocation, senior and youth-license changes, and accounting for shared departmental costs; no vote was taken.
Representative VanderWaal introduced House Bill 5093 to the House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee, saying the bill would create a stable, dedicated funding model for Michigan fisheries by directing fishing license revenue to fisheries programs, adding a $3 license increase and a $5 hatchery stamp, and establishing an anglers-based fisheries oversight committee.
The bill’s sponsor framed the measure as a response to long-standing funding shortfalls. "For years, our fisheries have been underfunded," Representative VanderWaal said, saying the proposal would spend license dollars on stocking, habitat restoration, invasive-species control and hatchery maintenance. He described the changes as modest adjustments rather than a major new tax.
Why it matters: Supporters told committee members that healthy fisheries underpin recreation and local economies. Mark Williams, who spoke as a statewide anglers’ representative, told the panel that Michigan’s sport-fishery…
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