Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on April 12, 2007, to prohibit the Department of Natural Resources from restricting hunting on land under its control, except for commercial forestland (which comprises almost half of all DNR land.) The bill would allow hunting to be banned on land that isn't commercial forestland only for reasons of public safety, fish or wildlife management, homeland security concerns, or as otherwise required by law. Also, to require the department to file an annual report to the legislature that gives details on any land opened or closed to hunting in the past year, not including commercial forestland

The vote was 109 in favor, 0 opposed and 1 not voting

(House Roll Call 144 at House Journal 43)

Click here to view bill details.

Thank you for introducing such a bill. Hunters appreciate this kind of legislation.

This is good for hunters and it also holds the ruthless thugs know as the DNR to some accountably.I hope it passes.

Hey folks - this bill would allow the DNR to ban hunting on "commercial forestlands." As I understand it, half the state forests are considered "commercial forestlands." It appears that Lahti - a political lawyer from Hancock - is somewhat out of touch with his Copper Country neighbors and constits. I suspect that that 109 reps who voted "yes" on the bill have no clue about what they had done. Am I missing something here? (Answer: I don't think so.) Beware this stinker. (The whole package is cynical "position taking," but that's a different subject.) Amendment offered by Rep. Michael Lahti on May 3, 2007, to exempt commercial forestland from the bill, meaning that the DNR would not be required to keep this land open to hunting with the exceptions specified in the bill.

The bill as written in the Senate was a great bill, the House version is a steaming pile of BS that will allow most of the public hunting land to be posted "No Hunting". The ONLY reason that Commercial forestlands in this state are now open to public hunting and fishing is because it is required by law to be so or they would lose their huge tax exemption on the property. This House bill would remove that requirment. This is a anti-hunting bill and the Senate better tell the House to stuff it back to where it came from!

"Hunters appreciate this kind of legislation." Huh? You really think hunters will be happy to have most of the public hunting land posted? Read the house ammendment! It will ban most public hunting up north!