BEAR DAMAGE SHOOTING PERMIT H.B. 5226 (H-2):
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
House Bill 5226 (Substitute H-2 as reported by the Committee of the whole)
Sponsor: Representative Edward McBroom
House Committee: Natural Resources
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow bear to be taken outside of their open season if the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) determined that bear had caused damage to emerging, standing, or harvested crops or to properly stored feed.
Within four days after receiving a request for a bear damage shooting permit, the DNR would have to respond to it and evaluate whether a permit should be issued. Within 10 days after responding, the DNR could attempt, or recommend that the applicant attempt, other methods for controlling the bear, if the applicant were not required to pay for those methods. Also, within 10 days after responding, the DNR would have to grant or deny the request in writing. In denying the request, the DNR would have to advise the applicant on other techniques for controlling or preventing damage caused by bear.
A permittee could allow only an individual with a valid bear hunting license for that bear management unit and calendar year to implement the provisions of the bill. An individual who took a bear under a permit could not take another bear under a bear hunting license during the calendar year. The bill also would prohibit a person from taking a cub bear or a female bear accompanied by a cub bear. "Cub bear" would mean a bear that is less than one year of age. The DNR could not allow more than 5% of the bear hunting licenses issued for a bear management unit to be used to implement the bill's purposes. In a bear management unit that offers fewer than 20 licenses, the DNR could allow one of those licenses to be used for the bill's purposes. An individual who took a bear under a bear damage shooting permit to register the bear within 72 hours of taking it.
Within three years after the bill's effective date, the DNR would have to report the following to each member of the Legislature: a) the number of bear damage shooting permits issued, b) the number of bears taken, and c) any recommendations for changes to the permits.
MCL 324.40114 Legislative Analyst: Jeff Mann
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a minor, but negative, fiscal impact on the Department of Natural Resources and no fiscal impact on local units of government. The bill would introduce some new, but likely minor, administrative costs to the DNR. New costs would be related to processing requests for bear damage shooting permits, determining whether bears were responsible for damage to crops or stored feed, providing advice on controlling bear damage, and likely performing other minor administrative functions.
Date Completed: 12-11-14 Fiscal Analyst: Josh Sefton
This 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.