LANSING –State Representative Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak) today announced the Michigan Hunting Heritage Protection Act to ensure that Michigan's 4.5 million acres of state-managed hunting land are protected as the Department of Natural Resources continues to implement its land consolidation strategy, which includes the sale of some public land.
"Hunting is an important Michigan tradition that should be protected," Donigan said. "It's important that hunters have access to public land. Hunting fuels our economy in a way that can't be replaced."
The Democratic plan would require that there is no net loss of state-owned hunting land in Michigan. Any public hunting land that is sold by the state would have to be replaced with an equal amount of public hunting land.
Michigan boasts 8 million acres of public hunting land, with 4.5 million acres managed by the Department of Natural Resources. Michigan has more than 750,000 hunters, ranking the state third in the nation in licensed hunters, according to the DNR.
Hunting significantly bolsters Michigan's economy by $2.5 billion every year, the DNR reported. It contributes an estimated $1.3 billion directly to the state's economy every year. In addition, because many residents plan trips around the hunting seasons, peripheral spending at local hotels, restaurants and other businesses rakes in an additional $1.2 billion for Michigan's economy.
"As the Department of Natural Resources explores the sale of our parcels of land, it's become apparent that we must act now to hold onto our hunting land," Donigan said. "During these tight budgetary times, we can't afford to let any of the land or accompanying hunting revenue slip away."