SHOOTING RANGE NOTICE AT PARKS S.B. 366 (S-1): FIRST ANALYSIS






Senate Bill 366 (Substitute S-1 as passed by the Senate)
Sponsor: Senator Valde Garcia
Committee: Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs


Date Completed: 5-12-05


RATIONALE
Four of Michigan's State parks have areas designated for target-shooting purposes. Evidently, some State park visitors who were on the premises to picnic, hike, or pursue other activities have complained that the noise from the shooting range disrupted their activities, and indicated that they would not have visited the park had they known the range was in use that day. Some people believe that, if signs were posted at the entrances to the parks' public areas on days when the shooting range was in use, visitors who would be disturbed by the noise could find another location before entering the parks. Currently, the State parks have no policy of posting signs on days when a shooting range will be in use.

CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 741 (State Parks System) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to post, at the entrance to the recreational areas of each State park containing a designated shooting range that is open to visitors, a notice stating the range's regular hours of operation. The notice would have to be posted in a visible location, and the lettering would have to be of a sufficient type size to be read easily by State park visitors. The DNR would not have to post the hours of operation in which the shooting range was open for special events. If the Department did not do so, however, the notice would have to include a statement to that effect.


Proposed MCL 324.74103a ARGUMENTS (Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)

Supporting Argument The bill would ensure that there would be some sort of notice posted in the public areas of Michigan's State parks that have shooting ranges, stating that the range would be in use on a particular day. Park-goers then could use other facilities if the noise would disturb them.


Legislative Analyst: Julie Koval

FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.


Fiscal Analyst: Jessica Runnels

Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb366/0506